The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread focused on the Philosophers of the Enlightenment - including Montesquieu, Rousseau, etc. and others listed below.



The Philosophy of the Enlightenment

The 18th century is the main philosophical century, the philosophy of the Enlightenment.

Indeed, all over Europe, philosophers have laid down old principles and reinventing a new paradigm of philosophy and political philosophy.

Of course, these philosophers have irreconcilable differences, but they share one common goal: they all fight against arbitrary power, through a complete overhaul of the political rationality, the advent of a rational subject, free and independant. As Kant taught us, man has to be think by himself.

The Enlightenment can be defined as a new philosophical paradigm.

Here is a list of major philosophers of the Enlightenment:

French enlightenment Philosophers:

Voltaire
Montesquieu
Rousseau
Diderot

British Enlightenment Philosophers:

James Mill
John Stuart Mill
Bentham
Locke
Smith

German Enlightenment Philosophers:

Kant
Fichte

American Enlightenment Philosophers:

Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Paine
John Witherspoon
James Wilson

Scottish Enlightenment Philosophers

Francis Hutcheson
David Hume
Adam Smith
Dugald Stewart
Thomas Reid
Robert Burns
Adam Ferguson
John Playfair
Joseph Black
James Hutton
John Millar
Andrew Millar
James Mills
Henry Home, Lord Kames
Thomas Carlyle
George Campbell
Thomas Brown
James Beattie
George Turnbull

Source: Philosophy.com, Wikipedia

Members can discuss and add books on any of these philosophers - no self promotion, please.

More:
Age of Enlightenment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_...
The Philosophies of Enlightenment
http://www5.csudh.edu/phenom_studies/...
Stanford Encyclopedia of Enlightenment
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/en...
Scottish Enlightenment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottis...

This youtube video might help with the discussion of Montesquieu:

Political Theory: Montesquieu and Rousseau (The Philosophes: Thinkers of the Enlightenment)

https://youtu.be/kQdwvguLc9s

More:
For those of you who want to go deeper - here is the Yale course
SOCY 151: Foundations of Modern Social Theory
Lecture 4
- Montesquieu: The Division of Powers
https://oyc.yale.edu/sociology/socy-1...

Source: Youtube

The Spirit of the Laws

by Montesquieu

Synopsis:

The Spirit of the Laws is, without question, one of the central texts in the history of 18th-century thought, yet there has been no complete scholarly English language edition since 1750.

This lucid translation renders Montesquieu's problematic text newly accessible to a fresh generation of students, helping them to understand why Montesquieu was such an important figure in the early Enlightenment and why The Spirit of the Laws was such an influence on those who framed the American Constitution.

Fully annotated, this edition focuses on Montesquieu's use of sources and his text as a whole, rather than on those opening passages toward which critical energies have traditionally been devoted. A select bibliography and chronology are also provided.

Another video: (a student presentation but not bad)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYt2s...

Source: Youtube

Montesquieu (In Our Time) - PODCAST - Moderator's Comment - This is a rather good podcast because at about the point in the podcast around 31:00 or 32:00 they talk about the Anti-Federalists trying to use Montesquieu against the Federalists in terms of the size of government - Madison is able to turn their argument on its end and use Montesquieu to actually promote the exact opposite and add credibility to the Federalist's hypotheses. In fact, if you have states that are smaller therein - it can maintain its virtue and not become corrupt like a large entity would. Madison and Hamilton capitalize on the notion of a Federal Republic and push that kind of system for America and that because it is a federated republic of states - the virtue of a smaller entity is not lost but strengthened - the exact message of Federalist 14.

Synopsis:

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (1689-1755) whose works on liberty, monarchism, despotism, republicanism and the separation of powers were devoured by intellectuals across Europe and New England in the eighteenth century, transforming political philosophy and influencing the American Constitution. '

He argued that an individual's liberty needed protection from the arm of power, checking that by another power; where judicial, executive and legislative power were concentrated in the hands of one figure, there could be no personal liberty.

With Richard Bourke Professor in the History of Political Thought at Queen Mary, University of London Rachel Hammersley Senior Lecturer in Intellectual History at Newcastle University And Richard Whatmore Professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews and Director of the St Andrews Institute of Intellectual History Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4RWN...

More:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b5...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montesq...

Source: BBC

Another source:

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Baron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mo...

Source: Stanford

Another source:

Montesquieu and the Separation of Powers

https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/mon...

Source: Online Library of Liberty

Persian Letters

by Montesquieu

Synopsis:

This richly evocative novel-in-letters tells the story of two Persian noblemen who have left their country—the modern Iran—to journey to Europe in search in wisdom. As they travel, they write home to wives and eunuchs in the harem and to friends in France and elsewhere. Their colorful observations on the culture differences between West and East conjure up Eastern sensuality, repression, and cruelty in contrast to the freer, more civilized West—but here also unworthy nobles and bishops, frivolous women in fashion, and conceited people of all kinds are satirized. Storytellers as well as letter-writers, Montesquieu’s Usbek and Rica are disrespectful and witty, but also serious moralists. Persian Letters was a succès de scandale in Paris society, and encapsulates the libertarian, critical spirit of the early eighteenth century.

C. J. Betts’s translation conveys the color of the original, and his introduction examines the inner meanings of Montesquieu’s satire. This edition also includes explanatory notes, appendices, and suggestions for further reading.

Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau in England

by John Churton Collins (no photo)

Synopsis:

Excerpt from Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau in England
It remains for me now to thank those who have in various ways assisted me. I must begin, I am sorry to say, with acknowledging no indebted ness to Mr. Archibald Ballantyne's volume entitled Voltaire's Visit to England, published by Messrs. Smith Elder in 1893. I was obliged at the time to point out, in justice to myself, that the work simply appropriated, without one word of acknow ledgment, the whole of the material collected by me.

About the Publisher

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Political Thought

by Mark Goldie (no photo)

Synopsis:

This major work of academic reference provides a comprehensive overview of the development of western political thought during the European enlightenment. Written by a distinguished team of international contributors, this Cambridge History is the latest in a sequence of volumes that is now firmly established as the principal reference source for the history of political thought. Every major theme in eighteenth-century political thought is covered in a series of essays at once scholarly and accessible, and the essays are complemented by extensive guides for further reading, and brief biographical notes of the major characters in the text, including Rousseau, Montesquieu and David Hume. Of interest and relevance to students and scholars of politics and history at all levels from beginning undergraduate upwards, this volume chronicles one of the most exciting and rewarding of all periods in the development of western thinking about politics, man (and increasingly woman), and society

Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline

by Montesquieu

Synopsis:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Montesquieu, was a French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, taken for granted in modern discussions of government and implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He was largely responsible for the popularization of the terms feudalism and Byzantine Empire.

The Political Theory of Montesquieu

by Montesquieu

Synopsis:

This volume comprises selections from Persian Letters (1721), Considerations on the Causes of the Romans' Greatness and Decline (1734), and The Spirit of the Laws (1748), along with a detailed introduction by the editor; it makes available in a new English translation the most significant part of Montesquieu's political, social and legal theory.

About two-thirds of the volume has been translated from The Spirit of the Laws, not redone in English since the 18th century. That version was notoriously inadequate: Montesquieu's key terms were not rendered consistently; often his meaning was distorted by giving the nearest English 18th-century legal or institutional equivalent. Finally, English usage has changed so much that the 18th-century translation makes Montesquieu seem both quaint and obscure. This is not the impression one derives from reading Montesquieu in French today.

This volume also includes substantial selections from the Persian Letters and the Considerations on the Causes of the Romans' Greatness and Decline. Although adequate translations of these works exist, it seemed advisable to maintain intellectual and stylistic consistency by providing English versions on the same principles as The Spirit of the Laws. No other single volume of Montesquieu has all these.

Also included are a long introduction by the editor & translator, an explanatory list of key terms rendered in French, and a glossary of the authors referred to in the text. It should enable those who do not read French to appreciate Montesquieu's intellectual contributions to the social sciences and law. It persuasively shows too that Montesquieu is amusing as well as instructive.

Montesquieu: A Critical Biography

(no image) Montesquieu: A Critical Biography by Robert Shackleton (no photo)

Synopsis:

A scholarly general study of the 18th century philosopher using his manuscripts and family archives, portraying the man and his works, with critical comments on both.

Montesquieu

(no image) by Judith N. Shklar (no photo)

Synopsis:

Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) was perhaps the most authentic and original of the political thinkers of the Enlightenment. He believed passionately in toleration and in the moral benefits of science, and constructed a naturalistic system of political science based on the study of history, comparative government, and human behavior.

His magnum opus is undoubtedly The Spirit of the Laws (1748), which examines the concept of law as both cause and effect of the structure of political systems. Inspiring everything he wrote was a profound hatred for, and fear of, despotism, which he regarded as the supreme evil, and which served him as a moral standard for judging regimes. Of these he considered England the best modern example, and his account of its constitution, which was to provide a model for the American Constitution of 1787, inspired many of the French liberals of his day.

This volume reveals Montesquieu's purpose by exploring the range of his literary output, focusing on his scandalous novel, Persian Letters (1721), his philosophical history, Considerations on the Greatness and Decline of the Romans (1734), and The Spirit of the Laws.

I'm now reading David Hume's Political Writings , but I see nobody in the Scottish enlightenment made your list. Is discussion of this book copacetic?

And would I do so here or start a new thread? (And if the latter, where, specifically?) Thanks.

We add threads when there is interest. Would you like to be a thought leader for a thread on the Scottish Enlightenment. I could tell you what that entails.

We set up specific threads when there is interest and we do not allow members to set up threads; but to give suggestions. That way we do not have duplication and overlap or spam. Additionally, we always want to be sure that we have folks who are interested in maintaining the thread.

Please check out our rules and guidelines which may assist you.

Our citation standard include the book cover (great job on that) - then the word by and then we give credit to the author - by adding the photo when available and then the linkable text which is the author's name. See example below:

by David Hume

Also, another thought is for me to add the Scottish Enlightenment to this thread which is what I think I will do. Much easier.

Thank you for letting me know of your interest.

Thanks. You are right that my main goal was to get Hume added to your list of enlightenment thinkers who wrote about democracy.

Sometime in the next week - I will try to update this thread's header in comment box one. If I forget - remind me and welcome.

*REMINDER*

Also, I don't think J.S. Mill belongs in this list (if that's who was meant by "Stuart Mill" above). Maybe his father James or his mentor Bentham might be early enough to count, though.

Thank you for your input Walter.

You are quite welcome.

Just wanted to again mention that J.S. Mill is not an enlightenment figure. He was a Victorian--not born until 1806.

Yes, but he was a transitional figure to later periods and was heavily influenced - added him because of that and because he is mentioned for that reason.

We are opening the door to discuss any of the folks names as a starting point - and it is not an exhaustive listing nor does it have to be. And there may be some disagreement as to why certain names are added and others are not but feel free to post books, etc or works by any of these men and/or others.