5. How does Montesquieu define liberty?

Question

6. According to Montesquieu, how would liberty be achieved? Explain what this means and why it was necessary:

Answer 1

5. Montesquieu defines liberty as the power to do what one ought to will, and not to be forced to do what one ought not to will.

6. Montesquieu believed that liberty could be achieved through a system of checks and balances within government. This means that power should be divided among different branches of government (such as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches) in order to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful and potentially infringing on the liberties of the people. This was necessary because Montesquieu believed that without this system of checks and balances, there was a risk of tyranny and the loss of individual freedoms.