The Spirit of Montesquieu’s Persian Letters PDF Download

Author: Constantine Christos Vassiliou
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1666913286
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 293

View

Book Description
This book’s primary purpose is to commemore the 300th anniversary of a seminal book in classical liberal thought. Montesquieu’s Persian Letters is a delightfully rich, sympathetic sattire of commercial society’s promise and discontents, covering a wide range of issues and themes that shaped the direction of liberal modernity. It consists of a series of letters largely writted by two Persian travelers to Paris, who allow modern readers to view Parisian life from the perspective of an outsider. The volume includes contributions from prominent scholars of Montesquieu’s whose classic commentaries have stood the test of time, and early career scholars who have recently unearthed new and exciting avenues for understanding this important hinge-figure in modern political thought.

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Indoeuropeanpublishing.com
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description
Persian Letters is a satirical work by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France. In 1711 Usbek leaves his seraglio in Isfahan to undertake the long journey to France, accompanied by his young friend Rica. He leaves behind five wives (Zachi, Zéphis, Fatmé, Zélis, and Roxane) in the care of a number of black eunuchs, one of whom is the head or first eunuch. During the trip and their long stay in Paris (1712-1720), they comment, in letters exchanged with friends and mullahs, on numerous aspects of Western, Christian society, particularly French politics and mores, ending with a biting satire of the System of John Law. Over time, various disorders surface back in the seraglio, and beginning in 1717 (Letter 139 [147]), the situation there rapidly unravels. Usbek orders his head eunuch to crack down, but his message does not arrive in time and a revolt brings about the death of his wives, including the vengeful suicide of his favorite, Roxane, and, it appears, most of the eunuchs... About the author: Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (18 January 1689, La Brède, Gironde - 10 February 1755), was a French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Era of 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. Persian Letters is a satirical work by Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France.

Author: Charles de Secondat baron de Montesquieu
Publisher: Dissertations-G
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 366

View

Book Description

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 1624661823
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 346

View

Book Description
A classic work of the European Enlightenment--and one of the most popular, if scandalous, in its day--the Persian Letters captures, in an engaging epistolary format, the transformational spirit of the era. Amid an ongoing tale rife with sex, violence, and wit, the work addresses a diverse range of topics from human nature and the origins of society, to the nature and role of religious belief, the role of women, statecraft, justice, morality, and human identity. With skill and artistry, Raymond MacKenzie’s stunning new translation accurately reflects the mood and character of the work. In his richly conceived Introduction, MacKenzie seamlessly weaves together an overview of the period with details of Montesquieu’s life, including the influences that inspired the Persian Letters, the character and power of the book, and its reception. This edition also includes a Calendar of the Persian Letters, a Bibliography of Works in English, and a Bibliography of Works in French. Related texts provide insight into the legacy of the Persian Letters. They include selections from works by George Lyttelton, Voltaire, Oliver Goldsmith, and Maria Edgeworth.

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191604887
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 320

View

Book Description
'Oh! Monsieur is Persian? That's most extraordinary! How can someone be Persian?' Two Persian travellers, Usbek and Rica, arrive in Paris just before the death of Louis XIV and in time to witness the hedonism and financial crash of the Regency. In their letters home they report on visits to the theatre and scientific societies, and observe the manners and flirtations of polite society, the structures of power and the hypocrisy of religion. Irony and bitter satire mark their comparison of East and West and their quest for understanding. Unsettling news from Persia concerning the female world of the harem intrudes on their new identities and provides a suspenseful plot of erotic jealousy and passion. This pioneering epistolary novel and work of travel-writing opened the world of the West to its oriental visitors and the Orient to its Western readers. This is the first English translation based on the original text, revealing this lively work as Montesquieu first intended. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Author: de Montesquieu, Charles
Publisher: Aegitas
ISBN: 1773138103
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 275

View

Book Description
Persian Letters is a literary work, written in 1721, by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France.

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 243

View

Book Description
'Persian Letters' is a literary work, published in 1721, by Montesquieu, who is best-remembered for his theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. This novel centers on the experiences of two fictional Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who spend several years in France under Louis XIV and the Regency.

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Penguin Classics
ISBN: 9780140442816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 356

View

Book Description
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.

Author: Charles Louis de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781514328118
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 344

View

Book Description
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brede et de Montesquieu generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He did more than any other author to secure the place of the word despotism in the political lexicon. Montesquieu is credited as being among the progenitors, which include Herodotus and Tacitus, of anthropology, as being among the first to extend comparative methods of classification to the political forms in human societies. Indeed, the French political anthropologist Georges Balandier considered Montesquieu to be "the initiator of a scientific enterprise that for a time performed the role of cultural and social anthropology." According to social anthropologist D. F. Pocock, Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws was "the first consistent attempt to survey the varieties of human society, to classify and compare them and, within society, to study the inter-functioning of institutions." Montesquieu's political anthropology gave rise to his theories on government. When Catherine the Great wrote her Nakaz (Instruction) for the Legislative Assembly she had created to clarify the existing Russian law code, she avowed borrowing heavily from Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws, although she discarded or altered portions that did not support Russia's absolutist bureaucratic monarchy."

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 9780872200906
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 314

View

Book Description
Rev. ed. of: The political theory of Montesquieu. 1977.