Which Enlightenment thinker argued for separation of powers to prevent tyranny?

Which Enlightenment thinker argued for separation of powers to prevent tyranny?

• A. John Locke
• B. Rousseau
• C. Voltaire
• D. Montesquieu

Answer: (D)

Separating the powers of government to prevent tyranny is the key idea here. Montesquieu, in The Spirit of the Laws, argued that government functions should be divided into branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—with each branch having distinct powers and the ability to check the others. This division keeps any one group from gaining unchecked control and protects liberty by creating accountability and balancing interests across the state. His clear articulation of how institutional structure can curb absolute power became a foundational principle for modern constitutional design and influenced many democratic systems. By contrast, John Locke emphasized natural rights and government by consent, focusing on limiting authority to protect life, liberty, and property rather than outlining a formal three-branch structure. Rousseau centered on popular sovereignty and the general will, exploring how legitimacy arises from the collective will rather than institutional division. Voltaire championed civil liberties and tolerance and criticized abuses of power, but he did not develop a formal separation-of-powers framework.

Separating the powers of government to prevent tyranny is the key idea here. Montesquieu, in The Spirit of the Laws, argued that government functions should be divided into branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—with each branch having distinct powers and the ability to check the others. This division keeps any one group from gaining unchecked control and protects liberty by creating accountability and balancing interests across the state. His clear articulation of how institutional structure can curb absolute power became a foundational principle for modern constitutional design and influenced many democratic systems.

By contrast, John Locke emphasized natural rights and government by consent, focusing on limiting authority to protect life, liberty, and property rather than outlining a formal three-branch structure. Rousseau centered on popular sovereignty and the general will, exploring how legitimacy arises from the collective will rather than institutional division. Voltaire championed civil liberties and tolerance and criticized abuses of power, but he did not develop a formal separation-of-powers framework.