International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.2, 2023

The Hidden Dialogue between Montesquieu and Machiavelli

(Abstract)

Zhang Chi

Anti-Machiavelism is a key element of Montesquieu’s political and social thought, expressing the realistic aims of his writing and providing important clues to understanding his ideas. Reflecting on the current situation in France during the late reign of Louis XIV, Montesquieu argued that in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes, the state and society needed to leave behind the emulation of classical Rome and move away from Machiavellianism. He constructs a world in which power can be effectively held in check and the desire for power curbed from three perspectives: the philosophy of history, the philosophy of politics and the theory of business and society. With the help of the theoretical elaboration of these three perspectives, Montesquieu not only locks in the past the classical Rome and its values praised by Machiavelli, but also binds political Machiavellianism firmly to a necessity based on the nature of things.