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Volume 7, 2025 - Issue 2

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Law and Art vs. Law and Technique: A Multidimensional Analysis of Montesquieu's Legislative Thought

by Xinyue Liu 1 ,  Hongyu Xie 2,* ,  Zhaowei Liang 3 ,  Wenzhou Shu 4  and  Junhao Li 5
1
Changchun University of Finance and Economics,Jilin, Changchun, 130000
2
Changan Automobile Co. Ltd.,Chongqing,400000
3
School of Finance and Law, Guilin University, Guilin 541000, Guangxi ,China
4
Sichuan International Studies University, chongqing, 400031
5
Sichuan International Studies University, chongqing, 400031
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
JASES  2025 7(2):241; https://doi.org/10.69610/j.ases.2025040101
Received: / Accepted: / Published Online: 1 April 2025
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Abstract

Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws centers on the "spirit of the law," breaking through the traditional natural law school's singular political perspective. It systematically expounds on the complex interrelations between law and political structures, social customs, natural environment, and religious beliefs. This paper explores the dialectical logic and practical orientation of Montesquieu's legislative thought from four dimensions: (1) Legislative Agency: Lawmakers should exercise initiative while adhering to natural law and the nature of society, balancing national spirit with institutional innovation; (2) Adaptation to Political Regimes: Laws must align with the nature of the political system, safeguarding political freedom through the separation of powers and moderate legislation; (3) Influence of Natural Conditions: Climate, soil, and other environmental factors act as implicit drivers of legislation, necessitating legal adjustments to harmonize environmental constraints with human needs; (4) Legislative Technique: Effective legislation demands precision, stability, and consistency with the essence of the matters it regulates, aiming to achieve the rule of good law. The study further contrasts Montesquieu's views with those of Savigny's historical school of jurisprudence, revealing the tension between grounding law in historical tradition and responding to dynamic social evolution. Montesquieu's legislative thought offers a theoretical framework that balances local particularities with universal principles, providing valuable insights for constructing legal systems that adapt to complex social conditions.

Keywords: The Spirit of the Laws; legislative agency; regime adaptation; climate and law; rule of good law.;
Copyright: © 2025 by Liu, Xie, Liang, Shu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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ACS Style
Liu, X.; Xie, H.; Liang, Z.; Shu, W.; Li, J. Law and Art vs. Law and Technique: A Multidimensional Analysis of Montesquieu's Legislative Thought. Journal of Arts, Society, and Education Studies, 2025, 7, 241. doi:10.69610/j.ases.2025040101
AMA Style
Liu X, Xie H, Liang Z et al.. Law and Art vs. Law and Technique: A Multidimensional Analysis of Montesquieu's Legislative Thought. Journal of Arts, Society, and Education Studies; 2025, 7(2):241. doi:10.69610/j.ases.2025040101
Chicago/Turabian Style
Liu, Xinyue; Xie, Hongyu; Liang, Zhaowei; Shu, Wenzhou; Li, Junhao 2025. "Law and Art vs. Law and Technique: A Multidimensional Analysis of Montesquieu's Legislative Thought" Journal of Arts, Society, and Education Studies 7, no.2:241. doi:10.69610/j.ases.2025040101

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