This study contributes to our understanding of the historical and intellectual roots of liberal republicanism by analyzing Montesquieu's writings on commerce in the fourth part of the Spirit of Laws. Today, no one doubts that Montesquieu helped to formulate the political doctrines that contributed to the development of liberal republicanism on both the European and American continents. Yet, questions remain about Montesquieu's political intentions. The view of Montesquieu as a worshipper of commercial modernity has been significantly eroded in recent decades. The view of Montesquieu as a “liberal,” or as an advocate of the English political system, has also been challenged. While not ignoring these challenges, this dissertation advocates a return to the idea that England is the “polestar” of Montesquieu's political philosophy. Montesquieu wrote, in the words of Edmund Burke, to “hold out to the admiration of mankind, the Constitution of England.” Such a reading is not new. What this study adds to the debate about Montesquieu's liberalism is, rather, a new window into Montesquieu's political thought. No study has connected Montesquieu's economic thought systematically with his moral and political thought. A failure to make this connection has led to significant interpretative errors. In the topic of commerce, or political economy, Montesquieu found an opportunity to say more than could be openly stated in other parts of the work. The following analysis of Montesquieu's economic writings provides substantial evidence for the view of Montesquieu as a liberal political writer whose purpose was to persuade his reader of the superiority of liberal commercial republicanism over traditional monarchy and classical republicanism.
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