montesquieu

Are humans naturally good or evil and how should that shape our society

not inherently good or evil —> are prone to abuse power —> power must be in place to check power

state of nature quote

• “In this state every man instead of being sensible of his equality, which fancy himself inferior. there would therefore be no danger of their attacking one another; peace would be the first law of nature

  • everyone would be scared of everyoen and therefore peace would exist as everyone woudl be to afarid to act

why sociteies form

 the shared fear of humans would bring them together as well as the attraction between men and women also acquired knowledge would bring people together

abuse of power

Humans are inclined to abuse power when given options to do so → “that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go” book 11 chapter 4 spirit of laws 

I believe that power must be in place to check other powers → a government should exist to ensure that this power is checked.

what happends when societies are formed and why do we need gov

• As soon as man enters into  a state of society he loses the sense of his weakness; equality ceases, and then commences the state of War 

• Humans are meant to live together, but we often forget our obligations to one another And god  That is why wise legislators have bound us by civil and political laws — to remind us of our duty to society and to prevent our passions from destroying harmony.

optimal purpose of gov founding in society

• “As soon as a man enters into a state of society he loses the sense of his weakness; equality ceases and then commences the state of war.”

• humans create laws —> does not mean the principles did not previously exist intellectual world is not as well governed as the physical (gods domain)

• No Society can subsist without a form of government

• Humans are meant to live together, but we often forget our obligations to one another And god  That is why wise legislators have bound us by civil and political laws — to remind us of our duty to society and to prevent our passions from destroying harmony.

purpose of gov liberty quote

1. “The political Liberty of the subject is a Tranquility of Mind arising from the opinion each person has of a safety. in order to have this liberty, it is requisite the government be so constituted as one man need not be afraid of others”

   1. Gov purpose to keep people safe → protecting rights 

optimal form of government

separate powers —> ensure no one person can abuse power political liberty only in moderate governments

•  the optimal form of government is that which is best agrees with the humor and disposition of the people in whose favor is established  (number of people, values of people, climate)

quote about seperation of power

1. “Again, there is no liberty, if the Judiciary power is not separated from the legislative and executive. we're joined with the legislative, the life and Liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control; for the judge would then would be then the legislator. were it joined with the executive the Judge might  behave with violence and oppression.”

2. “Here then is the fundamental constitution of the government we are treating of. the legislative body being composed of two parts, they checking one another by the mutual privilege of rejecting. they're both restrained by the executive power, as the executive is by the Legislative. these three powers should naturally form a state of proposer in action but as there is a necessity for movement in the course of human Affairs they are forced to move but still in concert.

3. Its bad if the person in power of executive comes from legislative as then the two powers combine

quote about size of branches

1. “The executive power ought to be in the hands of a monarch because this branch of government, having a need of dispatch, is better administered by one hand than by many: on the other hand, whatever depends on the legislative power is often better regulated by many than by a single person.” 

social hierarchy nature

1. Not natural → law of nature = equality because everyone believes themselves to be inferior → in society when people meet + ally + are no longer living in state of far the quality of equality goes down

2. Men lose their sense of equality when they enter into a society

monarchy hierarchy

1. In a monarchy nobility or some sort of hierarchy is essential as if there is no hierarchy or nobility what you get is either popular state or despotic government

   1. Without the nobility the power of the prince relies all in him and the rules can easily change but with nobility the law becomes more fixed and therefore more fair 

monarchy hierarchy quote

In such a state there are always persons distinguished by their birth, riches, or honors; but were they to be confounded with the common people, and to have only the weight of a single vote like the rest, the common liberty would be their slavery, and they would have no interest in supporting it, as most of the popular resolutions would be against them. The share they have, therefore, in the legislature ought to be proportioned to their other advantages in the state; which happens only when they form a body that has a right to check the licentiousness of the people, as the people have a right to oppose any encroachment of theirs. The legislative power is therefore committed to the body of the nobles, and to that which represents the people, each having their assemblies and deliberations apart, each their separate views and interests.

Should all peoples, regardless of religion, race, nationality, or other status, be viewed as equal?

1. “Before laws were made, there were relations of possible justice... To say that there is nothing just or unjust but what is commanded or forbidden by positive laws, is as absurd as saying that before the describing of a circle all the radii were not equal.”

   1. Rights and morals come from natural laws and reason not the law 

• rights come from nature and not from government —> up to nature and gods creation to decide not a decsion that can be made by people or governemnt

What role should God and religion play in morality and public life?

what role shoudl education play in society

• despotic goernment eductaion = limited —> not needed in order to make good subject 

• monacrhy → social education “politness” → gives sense that someone belongs

• republic → “it is in a republic that the whole power of education is required.”

  • democarcy gov is entrusted unto citizems 

  • has to teach love of democracy to peole in order to preserve it 

  • does not matter for the otehr two becasue less people are in power and one of my thoughts on people as that when given power they like to keep it —> demorcay = less certain so needs to be reinfroced

view on knowledge and reason 

Law in general is human reason, and as much as it governs all the inhabitants of the earth: the political and civil laws of each Nation ought to be only the particular cases in which human reason is applied