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Montesquieu : une histoire de temps

Montesquieu : une histoire de temps


La croisée des chemins



Montesquieu : a story of time

Rediscovering Montesquieu in his time and throughout history: the key works of the Enlightenment, Persian Letters, Considerations on the Romans, The Spirit of Law take on their full meaning if one takes into account their literary, political, historical and legal dimensions. Major historical events, such as Alexander the Great's discovery of the Indies, Hanno the Navigator’s voyage around Africa or the invasion of Europe by the Huns, Augustus’ seizure of power and the long reign of Justinian, reveal the power of the human spirit and the weakness of societies subjected to the power of a single person. History, ancient or recent, becomes the preferred sphere of action for political thought and reveals the insignificance of the individual throughout centuries and across nations. Through this world without heroes, governed by deep-rooted, general matters, the dominant qualities of a philosophical writer emerge: freedom of mind and sharpness of vision, revealed by the series of sometimes contradictory readings presented here.