Charles Louis de Secondat

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A French political thinker who argues that government should have separate executive, legislative, and judicial powers

proper noun

: Charles Louis de Secondat

Many consider Charles Louis de Secondat the father of modern political theory.

Examples

Many scholars refer to Charles Louis de Secondat's theory of the separation of powers when discussing constitutional law.
The writings of Charles Louis de Secondat continue to shape democratic governments around the world.
Charles Louis de Secondat was highly influential in the development of modern political science.
Did Charles Louis de Secondat really believe in the separation of powers?
Charles Louis de Secondat was highly influential in the development of modern political science.
Many scholars refer to Charles Louis de Secondat's theory of the separation of powers when discussing constitutional law.
The writings of Charles Louis de Secondat continue to shape democratic governments around the world.

Surface Forms

Charles Louis de Secondat main

Morphology

Charles + Louis + de + Secondat

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing the individual components ('Charles', 'Louis', 'de', 'Secondat') does not let a learner infer the biographical meaning (French political philosopher who advocated separation of powers). Proper names are referential and non-compositional, so the MWE's meaning cannot be derived from its parts.

Etymology

Charles Louis de Secondat was the full name of a French noble who chose to use the name Montesquieu from his family estate when he wrote. He became famous for saying that government should have separate parts, so his name today is tied to the idea of 'separation of powers'.