The Spirit of Laws, Book III - Of The Principles Of The Three Kinds Of Government

Having discussed the three structures of government, time to discuss the animating principles of each type.

A democracy is sustained by the concept of virtue.  The people recognize their own responsibility for themselves, and act accordingly.  The loss of virtue among the people leads to the downfall of that community-- witness the Greeks.  (Conversely, a state that tries to introduce democracy without first inculcating the necessary virtue will fall back to its old ways-- witness England under Cromwell.)  The loss of virtue leads instead to the influence of vice, which quickly spins out of control.

An aristocracy (the other type of republic) also requires virtue, but among the ruling class alone.  Two types-- either virtue in light of their responsibility for the remaining people (the good kind), or virtue in light of their sense of self-preservation (the not-as-good kind).

Virtue has not the same place in a monarchy.  The people instead are regulated by imposition of law.  For the ruler (and the class of nobles), the animating principle is honor.  The sense of honor determines public action, restrains public behavior, and even has a hold on the monarch himself.

Since despotism have to appeal to pre-existing law, however, it cannot be restrained by honor.  Instead, its animating principle is fear.  This determines what the people, or the higher classes, choose to try to do in light of what they think they can get away with.  If ever the despot loses the sense of fear among his underlings, he is immediately done for.  The only restraint on the despot is the opposition of religion-- the only possilble higher power left.

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I find it interesting that Montesquieu makes no attempt to actually define "virtue".  He gives some examples in passing, but does not dwell on them.  Might be because the whole concept of virtue was immediately understood by the readers at the time-- something we've perhaps lost.

A good account of despotism, too.  The "loss of fear" pattern is exactly what we've seen in the Middle East protests over the past month.  The really bad regimes-- the ones that maintain the fear of the people-- are the ones that stay in power, too.