Fully annotated, this edition focuses attention upon Montesquieu's use of sources and his text as a whole, rather than upon those opening passages towards which critical energies have traditionally been devoted, and a select bibliography ...

Through these essays, the collection paints a comprehensive picture of the legislative nuances that govern human interaction and societal development.

One of the landmark works of the eighteenth century, De L'Esprit des Lois had an immeasurable influence on jurisprudence and political thought, especially in America.

This volume makes available in an English translation the most significant part of Montesquieu's political, social and legal theory.