Montesquieu, Charles Secondat de (1689-1755): One of the philosophers who helped bring us modern democracy. He defined the classic division of powers into the executive, legislative and judicative/jurisdictive powers. This was based on the reasoning that:

  • If the executive and legislative powers are in one hand, a tyrant could make laws at his will to give legitimation to unjust actions. (Examples: Nazi Germany 1933-1945, the GDR 1949-1989, countless others)
  • If the legislative and jurisdictive powers are in one hand, judges could make laws at their will in order to convict whomever they want.
  • If the executive and jurisdictive powers are in one hand, a tyrant or a judge could use excessive and oppressive force to execute their (possibly unjust) verdicts resp. justify their excessive and oppressive force by court decisions. (Examples: Revolutionary France, and again, Nazi Germany)

All modern democracies have to a varying degree implemented Montesquieu's ideas. At his time (the heyday of absolutism in France), our hero saw the division of power implemented best in Great Britain:

  • Executive Force: The Crown
  • Legislative Force: The Houses of Parliament
  • Judicative Force: Independent Judges