Can a republic be large?

Translation: quotations from Montesquieu are quoted in the anonymous 1777 English translation of the London Complete Works; quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation, not his original words.

1. WHAT HE SAID (the record)

Record ledger

• BELIEF (undated; quoted in the anonymous 1777 English translation of the London Complete Works): Montesquieu believed that republics are more populous than monarchies, implying that they can be large and support a greater population. (key quote above) [1]
• BELIEF (undated; quoted in the anonymous 1777 English translation of the London Complete Works): Montesquieu believed that a republic cannot remain governed by the same good laws that made it great once it achieves grandeur, because those laws are not suited to govern a large people. He argues that laws which raise the reputation and power of a small republic become inconvenient when the republic becomes large. "It must be acknowledged that the Roman laws were too weak to govern the republic: but experience has proved it to be an invariable fact, that good laws, which raise the reputation and power of a small republic, become incommodious to it, when once its grandeur is established, because it was their natural effect to make a great people, but not to govern them." [2]
• BELIEF (undated; quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation): Montesquieu believed that a republic cannot be large and still endure for long, because in an extensive republic there are men of large fortunes and less moderation, and the public good is sacrificed to private views. He argues that in a small republic, the public interest is more obvious and better understood by citizens. "IT is natural for a republic to have only a small territory; otherwise it cannot long subsist." [3]
• BELIEF (undated; quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation): Montesquieu believed that a republic can be large if it adopts a confederate form of government, which combines the internal advantages of a republic with the external strength of a monarchy. He argues that such a system can overcome the internal imperfections that typically ruin large republics. (key quote above) [4]
• BELIEF (undated; quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation): Montesquieu believed that a republic, if large, is ruined by an internal imperfection. [5]
• BELIEF (undated; quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation): Montesquieu believed that a democratic republic should not conquer towns which cannot enter into the sphere of its democracy, because the conquered people must be capable of enjoying the privileges of sovereignty. He argued that if a democratic republic subdues a nation to govern them as subjects, it exposes its own liberty by entrusting too great a power to those who command the conquered provinces. "It is necessary that the conquered people should be capable of enjoying the privileges of sovereignty... If a democratical republic subdues a nation in order to govern them as subjects, it exposes its own liberty, because it intrusts too great a power to those who are appointed to the command of the conquered provinces." [6]
• BELIEF (undated; quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation): Montesquieu believed that the less luxury there is in a republic, the more it is perfect, and that luxury leads to a focus on particular interests rather than the common good, which undermines the stability of a republic. This suggests that a republic's size may be constrained by its ability to maintain equality and resist luxury. "the less luxury there is in a republic, the more it is perfect. There was none among the old Romans, none among the Lacedæmonians;" [7]

What cuts against it

• The contrary-evidence entries are already in the record ledger above: [1].

2. HOW IT APPLIES (reasoning; inference is marked)

1. Montesquieu stated that a republic naturally has a small territory and cannot long subsist if it is large. "IT is natural for a republic to have only a small territory; otherwise it cannot long subsist." [3] (quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation)

2. He argued that in an extensive republic, the public good is sacrificed to private views, and the interest of the public is less obvious and understood. [3] (quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation)

3. Montesquieu proposed a solution to the problem of large republics through a confederate form of government, which combines the internal advantages of a republic with the external strength of a monarchy. (key quote above) [4] (quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation)

4. He believed that a confederate republic can overcome the internal imperfections that typically ruin large republics. [4] (quoted in Thomas Nugent's 1750 English translation)

5. Montesquieu also noted that a republic cannot remain governed by the same good laws that made it great once it achieves grandeur, because those laws are not suited to govern a large people. "It must be acknowledged that the Roman laws were too weak to govern the republic: but experience has proved it to be an invariable fact, that good laws, which raise the reputation and power of a small republic, become incommodious to it, when once its grandeur is established, because it was their natural effect to make a great people, but not to govern them." [2] (quoted in the anonymous 1777 English translation of the London Complete Works)

3. HIS TAKE

Record coverage: PARTIAL

The record is silent on whether Montesquieu believed a republic could be large without a confederate structure. However, from his stated principles, it can be inferred that a republic can be large if it adopts a confederate form of government.

Extrapolation: Montesquieu believed that a republic can be large if it is structured as a confederate government composed of smaller republics, which allows it to enjoy internal happiness and external advantages of large monarchies.

Competing readings: One reading is that Montesquieu believed a republic cannot be large and still endure for long, as stated in [3]. Another reading is that he believed a republic can be large if it adopts a confederate form of government, as stated in [4]. The record itself supports both readings, but the latter is a solution to the problem posed by the former.

Confidence: Moderate, as the record supports both readings, and the solution is inferred from the stated principles.