Teaching by Contradictions
Montesquieu's Subversion of Piety in The Spirit of the Laws
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10433754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | T Brennan (0000-0003-1684-4825, The University of Texas at Austin, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 84 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 520-544 |
| Publication date | 2022-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Review of Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-6705 • E-ISSN: 1748-6858 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0034670522000651 |
| OpenAlex | W4292237295 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
Building on studies by Thomas L. Pangle and Robert C. Bartlett, this article contends that Montesquieu's rhetorical moderation with respect to religion in The Spirit of the Laws serves a substantively radical project, that is, the gradual diminution of religious devotion through the spread of liberal-commercial civilization. Taking up the major passages of praise for religion in general and for Christianity in particular, I examine the strategy that allows Montesquieu to claim the mantle of moderation in spite of his radicalism on this crucial issue: allowing his prominently advertised positions to be undercut by his own historical observations and comparisons, and thus teaching by contradictions. I also argue that, notwithstanding his claim to be treating faith merely from a practical point of view, Montesquieu offers a theoretical challenge to revealed religion
Art · Civilization · Epistemology · Faith · Literature · Moderation · Piety · Political radicalism · Political science · Politics · Praise · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Subversion · American Constitutional Law and Politics · European Political History Analysis · Law · Philosophy · Political Theory and Influence · Religious studies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |