Preface to Translation of Montesquieu's "Discourse on Cicero"

The import of Montesquieu's "Discourse on Cicero" for understanding the political thought of both Montesquieu & Cicero is examined. Although Montesquieu is severely critical of the ancient Roman era, it is noted that he identified Cicero as one of the prominent defenders of Roman...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPolitical theory Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 728 - 732
Main Author Fott, David
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.10.2002
Subjects
Antiquity
Montesquieu, Charles Louis de Secondat
Morality
Political Philosophy
Theology
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Summary:The import of Montesquieu's "Discourse on Cicero" for understanding the political thought of both Montesquieu & Cicero is examined. Although Montesquieu is severely critical of the ancient Roman era, it is noted that he identified Cicero as one of the prominent defenders of Roman republicanism. It is then asserted that Montesquieu's thought, especially in his The Spirit of the Laws, was heavily influenced by Cicero's thought on virtue; moreover, Cicero's distinction between the honorable & the useful are viewed as strongly impacting Montesquieu's thinking. It is lamented that Montesquieu did not articulate his contention that Cicero's philosophy was original, not simply a Latinate version of ancient Greek thought. Additional attention is dedicated to illustrating the influence Cicero's thought on theology had on Montesquieu. J. W. Parker
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ISSN:0090-5917
DOI:10.1177/009059102237034