Primary sourceDocument1748-1750
De l'Esprit des loix, Volume 1, Title Page
Montesquieu · 1748-1750
The title page of the anonymous 1748 Geneva first edition of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws.
The title page of his own major work, printed abroad to escape French censorship of his political ideas.
About this source
What it is
This is the title page of the first volume of De l'Esprit des loix, Montesquieu's major work on political theory, printed in Geneva by Barillot & Fils around 1748–1750.
Why it matters
Publishing in Geneva, outside France, let Montesquieu avoid French censors while still reaching readers across Europe. The book was published anonymously, which was common practice for controversial political writing at the time, and it went on to shape constitutional thinking for decades.
Look closer
- Why would an author choose a foreign city to print a book about his own country's government?
- What does the plain design of this title page tell you about printing in the 1740s?
- Why do you think the author's name does not appear on the page?
This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Baron de Montesquieu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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