Book VIII. Of the Corruption of the Principles of the Three Governments

Quotes from an 18th century philosopher whose writings meant a lot to the Founding Fathers…words to ponder? (THANK YOU SHARON!!!! AWESOME STUFF. I needed another viewpoint as Voltaire and Paine have been memorized. =) )

Lot’s more here

Baron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat

(from Spirit of Laws 1748)

Democracies can be corrupted in two ways, “the spirit of inequality” and “the spirit of extreme equality”

The spirit of inequality arises when citizens no longer identify their interests with the interests of their country, and therefore seek both to advance their own private interests at the expense of their fellow citizens, and to acquire political power over them.

The spirit of extreme equality arises when the people are no longer content to be equal as citizens, but want to be equal in every respect.

In a functioning democracy, the people choose magistrates to exercise executive power, and they respect and obey the magistrates they have chosen. If those magistrates forfeit their respect, they replace them.

When the spirit of extreme equality takes root, however, the citizens neither respect nor obey any magistrate. They “want to manage everything themselves, to debate for the senate, to execute for the magistrate, and to decide for the judges”. Eventually the government will cease to function, the last remnants of virtue will disappear, and democracy will be replaced by despotism.