Montesquieu and the spirit of modernity

著者

• Carrithers, David Wallace
• Coleman, Patrick
• University of California, Los Angeles. Center for 17th- & 18th- Century Studies
• William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

書誌事項

Montesquieu and the spirit of modernity

edited by David W. Carrithers and Patrick Coleman

（SVEC, 2002:09）

Voltaire Foundation, 2002

注記

"Conference sponsored by the UCLA Center for Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Studies and the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library"--P. ix

"Studies on Voltaire and the eighteenth century"--Cover

Includes bibliographical references and index

Contributions in English and French

内容説明・目次

内容説明

Crucial to an understanding of Montesquieu's work is the contrast he drew between ancient and modern mentalites. 'Les politiques grecs,' he wrote in his classic work De l'esprit des lois (1748), 'qui vivaient dans le gouvernement populaire, ne reconnaissaient d'autre force qui put les soutenir que celle de la vertu. Ceux d'aujourd'hui ne nous parlent que de manufactures, de commerce, de finances, de richesses et de luxe meme.' Ancient philosophers had conceptualised model regimes where human beings would flourish in accordance with their natural purposes and potentialities shaped by good laws well obeyed. Such moderns as Montesquieu, on the other hand, ceased to regard the state as a school for morality. No longer concerned with improving man's soul, politics focused instead on the achievement of liberty, security and material prosperity. Clearly something novel and distinctive, something recognisably 'modern', arose during the period from Machiavelli to Montesquieu. A teleological universe suffused with transcendent meaning and purposeful ends was supplanted by a more secular, 'disenchanted' world-view. Both the Christian conception of a life lived in humble devotion to the moral commandments of revealed religion and the classical conception of a virtuous life devoted to ethical perfection were challenged by a new political realism stressing the dominance of the passions over reason and the constructive potential of self-interest. The authors of the eleven essays comprising this volume explore the complex relations between Montesquieu and modernity and between Montesquieu and antiquity. Assessing the content of his three major works, they conclude that whereas the label 'modern' suits Montesquieu, he nonetheless retained certain philosophical approaches characteristic of antiquity as well as a high regard for the primacy accorded to politics and philosophy in the classical era.

目次

Acknowledgements David W. Carrithers, Introduction: Montesquieu and the spirit of modernity I. Overture Stephen Werner, Comedy and modernity: the Lettres persanes II. Ancients and moderns Catherine Volpilhac-Auger, Montesquieu et l'imperialisme grec: Alexandre ou l'art de la conquete James W. Muller, The political economy of republicanism Diana J. Schaub, The regime and Montesquieu's principles of education Elena Russo, The youth of moral life: the virtue of the ancients from Montesquieu to Nietzsche III. Monarchy, population, taxation and justice Celine Spector, Vices prives, vertus publiques: de la Fable des abeilles a De l'esprit des lois David W. Carrithers, Montesquieu and the spirit of French finance: an analysis of his Memoire sur les dettes de l'etat(1715) Carol Blum, Montesquieu, the sex ratio and 'natural polygamy' Louis Desgraves, Montesquieu et la justice de son temps IV. Horizons of interpretation Daniel Brewer, Thinking history through Montesquieu Catherine Larrere, Montesquieu and the modern republic: the republican heritage in nineteenth-century France Index

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詳細情報

• NII書誌ID(NCID): BA59605323
• ISBN:
  • 0729407969
• 出版国コード: uk
• タイトル言語コード: eng
• 本文言語コード: engfre
• 出版地: Oxford
• ページ数/冊数: ix, 257 p.
• 大きさ: 24 cm
• 分類:
  • LCC : PQ2012
• 件名:
  • LCSH : Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, baron de, 1689-1755
• 親書誌ID:
  • BA46635977