Quotes · Quote card
Quotation from The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu
“To prevent this abuse, it is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power.”
The Spirit of the Laws, Book XI, ch. 4, trans. Nugent
Montesquieu's remedy for the abuse of power: institutional balance rather than reliance on good rulers.
Citation: "To prevent this abuse, it is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power." — Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws, Book XI, ch. 4, trans. Nugent. (id the-spirit-of-the-laws-q4)
Portrait: Montesquieu, De l'Esprit des loix (1st ed, 1748, vol 1, title page), Smuconlaw., Public domain.
