Synopsis: The concept behind Lettres persan is a Persian visiting France and writing letters to back home about what he encounters, which is basically just a vehicle for Montesquieu to ridicule society, government, Christianity, and the French.
In De l'Esprit des lois, as the title suggests, Montesquieu describes the nature of law and the reason and necessity behind it. He then describes three major types of government: republic, monarchy, and despotism.
Response: The Lettres persan were very enjoyable to read since they were so chock full of satire. They reminded me of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, (I highly recommend it if you haven't read it!) because of the format and the critical content. I wonder if Lewis was inspired by Lettres persan.
I found De l'Esprit des lois fascinating in that it was written from the perspective of one who had only ever lived in a monarchy. Living in the US, we're taught from birth that democracy is the only way to go and that all other forms of government are inferior or outdated or something, but Montesquieu finds fault with all major forms of government and I think he's completely right. Don't get me wrong, I'd definitely rather be living in a republic than in a tyranny, but if the politicians and public servants running the republic are corrupt then it's no better than other types of government. I was also impressed that Montesquieu had such insight into the nature of law and into different forms of government without having experienced them firsthand.
5 comments:
I think Montequieu is brilliant! He presented a scandalous, revolutionary text to the masses for their adoration (and condemnation), and its effect was unstoppable. His text in "Lettres persanes" is seemingly innocuous with its satire and mockery from the perspective of a keenly observant foreigner. This is one of the finest examples of the power of laughter. Montesquieu's body of work introduced not only the French revolution, but all contemporary political revolutions of the day.
I really enjoyed reading Montesquieu. It's really interesting to learn about the different ways that people view the world. Reading his writtings, it's easy to see how they influenced other countries, like the United States. He helps to take a different perspective, and to look outside the box.
Montesquieu to me is a revolutionary. He exposes the corruption very well through letters of satire. I like his ideals of a virtuous government.
I found Montequieu's writing to be so bold and so genius! The way he wrote was so facinating and i'm sure at the time they were very controversial. I found much of what he said to be spot on, but things you would think but never say outright. Amazing!
Personally I preferred the letters the the Lois reading. My favorite was when he talked about the clothing and how people treated him differently.
Post a Comment