The Cambridge Companion to Montesquieu

360 Pages·2023·2.985 MB·English

by  Keegan Francis Callanan, Sharon Ruth Krause

The Cambridge Companion to Montesquieu
Montesquieu was among the most influential writers of the eighteenth
century, and the study of his thought enriches and complicates our
understanding of the Enlightenment. Following renewed interest in his
writings over the last three decades, the Cambridge Companion to
Montesquieubringstogetherthevarietyofdisciplinaryandinterpretive
approaches that have shaped the scholarship on his work and legacy.
This Companion offers an integrated volume on Montesquieu as phil-
osopher, novelist, historian, economic thinker, political scientist, and
political theorist. It introduces readers to key themes and ongoing
debates, reflects developments in the field, breaks fresh ground, indi-
catesavenuesforfutureresearch,andprovidesmultipleperspectiveson
the relevance of Montesquieu’s thought to contemporary problems in
politicaltheory.
  is Associate Professor of Political Science at
Middlebury College and Visiting Fellow with the James Madison
Program at Princeton University. He is author of Montesquieu’s
LiberalismandtheProblemofUniversalPolitics(Cambridge,2018).
 .  is the William R. Kenan, Jr. University Professor
ofPoliticalScienceatBrownUniversity.Sheistheauthorofnumerous
articlesonMontesquieuandothertopicsinpoliticaltheory,aswellas
severalbooks,includingLiberalismwithHonor(Harvard,2002),Civil
Passions(Princeton,2008),andFreedomBeyondSovereignty(Chicago,
2015).
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Continuedatthebackofthebook
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The Cambridge Companion to
Montesquieu
Edited by
KEEGAN CALLANAN
MiddleburyCollege
SHARON R. KRAUSE
BrownUniversity
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:2022023451(print)|2022023452(ebook)|
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Contents
List of Contributors page vii
Acknowledgments ix
Chronology xi
List of Abbreviations xiii
1 Montesquieu: Life and Letters 1
PaulA.Rahe
2 Persian Letters 20
CatherineVolpilhac-Auger
3 Considerations on the Romans 35
ThomasL.Pangle
4 The Spiritof the Laws 54
KeeganCallanan
5 Montesquieu and the ClassicalWorld 76
CatherineLarrère
6 Montesquieu’s Guiding Principles and Foundations 94
C.P.Courtney
7 Montesquieu on Virtue 113
DavidW.Carrithers
8 Internationalism, Cosmopolitanism, and Empires 130
MichaelMosher
9 Liberty inMontesquieu 147
CélineSpector
10 Political Sovereigntyin Montesquieu 162
SharonR.Krause
v
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vi Contents
11 Montesquieuon Slavery 182
VickieB.Sullivan
12 Montesquieuand the Libertyof Women 198
DianaJ.Schaub
13 Political Economy 216
PaulCheney
14 Religion and Politics 232
AnneliendeDijn
15 Constitutional History 248
JacobT.Levy
16 Montesquieuand the Enlightenment 266
JonathanIsrael
17 Montesquieu’s Liberal Legacies 289
RebeccaE.Kingston
Bibliography 307
Index 329
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Contributors
Keegan Callanan is Associate Professor of Political Science at
MiddleburyCollege.
David W. Carrithers is Adolph Ochs Professor of Government Emeritus
ofPolitical Science atthe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Paul Cheney is Professor of European History at the University
ofChicago.
C. P. Courtney is Emeritus Reader in French Intellectual History and
Bibliographyat Christ’sCollege, the Universityof Cambridge.
Annelien De Dijn is Professor of Modern Political History at
Utrecht University.
Jonathan Israel is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the School of
Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Rebecca E. Kingston is Professor of Political Science at the University
ofToronto.
Sharon R. Krause is the William R. Kenan, Jr. University Professor of
Political Science at Brown University.
Catherine Larrère is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University
Paris IPanthéon-Sorbonne.
Jacob T. Levy isProfessor ofPolitical Science at McGill University.
Michael Mosher is Professor of Political Science at the University
ofTulsa.
vii
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viii List of Contributors
Thomas L. Pangle is the Joe R. Long Chair in Democratic Studies at the
Universityof Texas at Austin.
Paul A. Rahe is Professor of History and the Charles O. Lee and Louise
K. Lee Chair atHillsdale College.
Diana J. Schaub is Professor of Political Science at Loyola
UniversityMaryland.
Céline Spector is Professorof Philosophy at the SorbonneUniversity.
VickieB.SullivanistheCorneliaM.JacksonProfessorofPoliticalScience
atTuftsUniversity.
Catherine Volpilhac-Auger is Emeritus Professor of Modern and
Contemporary French Literature at the École Normale Supérieure
de Lyon.
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Acknowledgments
In completing this volume, we have incurred a number of debts.
I (Keegan) would like to thank my research assistants, Noah Rosenfield,
Delia Lander, Danielle Brown, and Joseph Lyons. Much of my work on
the Companion was completed during my time as a visiting fellow with
theJamesMadisonProgramatPrincetonUniversity,andIthankRobert
P.Georgeand Bradford Wilsonforhosting me.MiddleburyCollege and
the Institute for Humane Studies generously provided funding for
researchassistance,indexing,andeditorialsupport.Ithankmycoeditor,
Sharon Krause, for her wisdom and care at every stage of our collabor-
ation. My deep gratitude extends, as ever, to my wife, Rachel, and my
children, Fiona, Claire, William, Elise, and Jack, for their love and sup-
port in this and all my work. I dedicate the volume to my mother,
Michelle, my first and best teacher.
I (Sharon) acknowledge with great appreciation Keegan’s initiative,
energy, and expertise in bringing this project to fruition. The idea for
the volume was his, and he has consistently taken the lead in seeing it
through, demonstrating remarkable skill and grace in the process. I am
grateful to Brown University for funding support and to our research
assistants and indexer for their excellent work. Finally, I thank my
mother, Barbara (in memoriam), who cheered on this project as she
cheeredoneverythingIeversetouttodo;andTayhas,whoselovemakes
everythingpossible.
WewouldbothliketothankoureditoratCambridgeUniversityPress,
Robert Dreesen. Robert showed early enthusiasm at the possibility of
ix
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x Acknowledgments
aCambridgeCompaniontoMontesquieu;heprovidedexpertguidanceat
the proposal stage; and he patiently supported our project through to
publication.Wearealsogratefultothecontributorsfortheirprofession-
alismandcommitmenttotheproject.ParticularthanksareduetoDavid
Carrithersforanespeciallyclosepartnershipinourworkonthisvolume.
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