Montesquieu s Spirit Of Laws And Jean Jacques Rousseau s...

What entity dictates life on the most fundamental level? Is it the government or the people who permit the government to exist? This is the main point of contention between Baron de Montesquieu s Spirit of Laws and Jean-Jacques Rousseau s On the Social Contract. Interestingly, their interpretation of different forms of government converge on the sovereignty of a democracy, but that is where most of their common ground lies. While Rousseau shares similarities on the sovereign authority of a democracy with Montesquieu, he departs by arguing how regardless of government, sovereignty always rests in the hands of the people. He also disagrees on how the populace should participate in the democracy and on their representation in government, making his principles more relevant today. Baron de Montesquieu sees the people as sovereign exclusively in a democracy and act through elected bodies or ministers. Since the people have the sole power to enact laws, the rules of suffrage are vital to a successful democracy. Following closely is the need for a fixed amount of active citizens in an assembly. As such, the essence of his democracy revolves around the need for love of the laws and of the country. (Montesquieu Bk. 4 Pt. 5) Likewise, frugality is important because it allows all of society to share a similar level of enjoyment and advantages that a democracy brings. When the populace look to frugality, enhanced public services are made available. Consequently, there is a law ofShow MoreRelatedJean Domat, Montesquieu And Jean Jacques Rousseau859 Words   |  4 Pagesideas on government are based on the structure and laws of former civilizations. Thus, many politicians can have similar viewpoints on government due to basing their ideas on the same former structures. But, in contrast new government structures include a variety of variations. Therefore, Jean Domat, Montesquieu and Jean Jacques Rousseau have major differences in their outlooks on government, but they do share similar aspects. To start off with, Jean Domat was a French jurist who ideas stem from theRead MoreThe Political Landscape Of France1367 Words   |  6 Pagesthinkers, Baron de Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, both paved the way for the French and other Enlightenment revolutions during the 18th and 19th centuries. Although neither of the men saw the manifestations of their ideas in the American or French Revolutions, their influence is unquestionable to these movements. Without the political and economic atmosphere in France and Europe during the 18th and 19th century, the ideas and beliefs of thinkers like Montesquieu and Rousseau would not have affectedRead MoreThe Age Of Enlightenment And The Scientific Revolution1675 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years, the society and the world evolved giving rise to the establishment of new social norms and scientific advances. Although the industrial revolution and the scientific revolution represented a giant leap forward in human development, the Ag e of Enlightenment delivered the greatest influence for the future American society and planted the way for cultural and humanistic enrichment. The Age of the Enlightenment raised new concepts in education, democracy, and human freedom. The new humanisticRead MoreThe State Of The United States979 Words   |  4 Pagesthree branches of government called the Legislative branch, Executive branch, and judicial branch. The Legislative branch makes laws. The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government. (Federal government of the United States., 2015) It has two chambers which are the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Executive branch enforces the laws. For example, the president, vice-president, and executive offices make up this branch. The president and vice-president are electedRead MoreJean Jacque Rousseau s Theory Of A Social Contract881 Words   |  4 Pages Jean Jacque Rousseau was one of the most controversial philosophers from 1712-177 8. The first to speak explicitly of human rights. He was a Swiss philosopher who was influenced by the French revolution. He believed that people basically everyone is good but it s society that corrupts them to do wrong. Each philosopher had their own ideal world, and his was to have people make laws and obey them. However, Rousseau has a different opinion on the theory of a social contract but also did help developRead MoreEssay about European Enlightenment612 Words   |  3 PagesEnlightenment The enlightenment was the growth of thought of European thinkers in the 1600’s. The spread of enlightenment was a result of the Scientific Revolution during the 1500’s and 1600’s. It resulted as a need to use reason to distribute human laws. It also came about from a need to solve social, political and economic problems. Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier built the framework for modern chemistry during the enlightenment. Edward Jenner built a vaccine against smallpox, a deadlyRead MoreAn Unjust Society For Equality : A New Way Of Ruling Essay1648 Words   |  7 Pagesand it encompasses a new wave of ideologies that attempt to define basic human rights and the natural human state, as well as promote new political and social structures that better reflect these needs. Philosophers of the enlightenment provided new ideologies of what basic human rights were considered to be, and, as a result, new political and social structures were proposed and implemented across Europe and America, leading to the democratic governance we employ in America today. Prior to the ideasRead MoreBackground And The Enlightenment1546 Words   |  7 PagesBackground to the Enlightenment The Enlightenment was important philosophical, intellectual, cultural, and social movement that spread through Europe in the 1700’s. It involved a new worldview where people looked for answers with reason instead of faith, with a natural approach rather than a supernatural one. These characteristics are shared with an earlier intellectual movement known as the Renaissance. The Enlightenment could be looked at as a continuation of the Renaissance. There is one importantRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Enlightenment Period1488 Words   |  6 Pageseveryday people go about their days. Without even realizing it, people have been molded by the enlightenment period, allowing themselves to face new ideas with an open mind . The grand designs of this period were empiricism, rationalism, and natural law, each still essential to the 21st century. Empiricism, the theory that all knowledge is gained through experience and that we are all born with a clean slate (tabula rasa in latin), has a large following. An example of this today is how many considerRead MoreCauses of the French Revolution3450 Words   |  14 Pagestheories: the liberal theory of Locke, Voltaire and Montesquieu and the democratic theory of Rousseau. John Locke (1632-1704) was the father of the liberal theory. His political ideas are mainly contained in his Second Treatise of Civil Government published in 1690. Locke maintained that originally all men had lived in a state of nature in which absolute freedom an equality prevailed, and there was no government of any kind. The only law was the law of nature, which individuals enforced to protect