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University of California Press

About the Book

Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws is an enduring classic of social and political theory deserving a fresh reading every generation. The modern reader, however, is likely to find a work that ran to over a thousand pages in its two-volume first edition a bit overwhelming. Presented here, therefore, is the first English-language compendium of The Spirit of Laws, together with the first English translation of the posthumously published treatise containing the physiological theory underlying Montesquieu's theory of climate.


Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws is an enduring classic of social and political theory deserving a fresh reading every generation. The modern reader, however, is likely to find a work that ran to over a thousand pages in its two-volume first editio

Table of Contents

Preface
Note on the Text
Chronological Table of Major Events in Montesquieu's Life
Abbreivations
Introduction

The Spirit of Laws

An Essay on Causes Affecting Minds and Characters

Appendices