Quote by Montesquieu: “Liberty is the right of doing whatever the laws permit.”

This quote highlights that true freedom is not about doing anything one wants, but rather acting within the defined boundaries set by society's rules. It suggests that laws, when just, actually enable and protect liberty, rather than restricting it unfairly.

Europe was grappling with various forms of government and philosophical ideas about human rights and the state's role. Montesquieu's seminal work, 'The Spirit of the Laws,' explored different political systems and the principles governing them.

French political philosopher whose 1748 work The Spirit of the Laws laid the groundwork for the doctrine of separation of powers and influenced the framers of the United States Constitution. He was among the first to analyse political systems comparatively and empirically.