Philosopher
Montesquieu
A French Enlightenment philosopher, Montesquieu formulated the separation of powers and institutional moderation, defending constitutional monarchy and government limited by laws as a defense against despotism.

Image: After Jacques-Antoine Dassier · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · cropped and resized
Philosopher · 1689–1755
Profile is a model built from 240 answers simulated in character; not a statement by the person.
Compare your own views01 / The profile
Twelve axes, one perspective
02 / What stands out
Three distinctive positions
31.2pt
Control
31.3% Planning, compared with the ideology catalog’s 62.5% median.
How should economic activity be coordinated?
25.0pt
Power
30% Security, compared with the ideology catalog’s 55% median.
How far should the state reach into everyday life?
21.7pt
Trade
40% Protectionism, compared with the ideology catalog’s 61.7% median.
How open should the economy be to international exchange?
The profile in detail
Government and accountability. Structure: 42% Federal, 58% Unitary (Leaning Unitary); Representation: 70% Democracy, 30% Autocracy (Leaning Democracy). This combination separates where authority is located from how leaders are selected and constrained. It preserves those two choices even when a broad political label does not distinguish them. On Representation, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Democracy; Montesquieu sits 12.5 points above it. 124 reference profiles share this band.
Civil power and culture. Power: 30% Security, 70% Liberty (Leaning Liberty); Immigration: 58.8% Assimilation, 41.2% Multiculturalism (Leaning Assimilation). The first contrast concerns limits on civil life; the second concerns cultural adaptation and plural identities. Reading them together avoids inferring an immigration position solely from a preference about security. On Power, the 877-profile catalog median is 58.8% Security; Montesquieu sits 28.8 points below it. 151 reference profiles share this band.
Force and foreign policy. Diplomacy: 35% Militarist, 65% Pacifist (Leaning Pacifist); Intervention: 62.5% Non-interventionist, 37.5% Nationalist (Leaning Non-interventionist). Military capacity and projection of national interests are distinct choices in this model. These coordinates show how the profile combines military means and external objectives, without assuming that they always move together. On Intervention, the 877-profile catalog median is 48.8% Non-interventionist; Montesquieu sits 13.7 points above it. 203 reference profiles share this band.
Ownership, coordination and trade. Economy: 37.5% Public, 62.5% Private (Leaning Private); Control: 31.3% Planning, 68.7% Free market (Leaning Free market); Trade: 40% Protectionism, 60% Globalism (Leaning Globalism). These ask three different questions: who owns, how activity is coordinated and how the economy engages abroad. The economic profile of Montesquieu depends on that combination, rather than a single left or right classification. On Economy, the 877-profile catalog median is 53.2% Public; Montesquieu sits 15.7 points below it. 179 reference profiles share this band.
Belief and social norms. Religion: 45% Irreligious, 55% Religious (Balanced); Morality: 40% Progressive, 60% Traditionalist (Leaning Traditionalist). The model keeps religious influence separate from continuity in social norms. These values describe the reference profile; they do not assign a religion to someone who receives this match in the quiz. On Morality, the 877-profile catalog median is 38.8% Progressive; Montesquieu sits 1.2 points above it. 197 reference profiles share this band.
Technology and limits. Technology: 48.8% Technology, 51.2% Biology (Balanced). This adds a perspective on innovation and biological continuity that cannot be inferred directly from the economic coordinates. For Montesquieu, the 1.2-point distance from the center indicates the intensity of this particular position. On Technology, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Technology; Montesquieu sits 8.7 points below it. 225 reference profiles share this band.
03 / Connections
Nearby profiles

John Locke
96.5% compatibility

Ludwig Erhard
94.9% compatibility

Benjamin Franklin
93.1% compatibility

Charles Darwin
93% compatibility

Benjamin Constant
92.9% compatibility

Sérgio Moro
92.9% compatibility
At the other end of the catalog
Closest ideologies
Closest countries & regions
Three views of compatibility
Political
Conservative Centrism
94.7%
12 axes considered
Social
Federalism
96.5%
9 axes considered
Economic
Conservative Centrism
98.6%
3 axes considered
Further reading
1748
The Spirit of the Laws
Find the book ↗Got Montesquieu on the 12 Axes test?
Look at the other nearby profiles and the axes where you differ. A match is a starting point for exploring ideas, rather than a final identity.
Understand your result ↗Frequently asked questions
What does getting Montesquieu on the test mean?
Your twelve scores are relatively close to this reference profile. A match describes similarity inside the model; it does not imply agreement with every action, policy or belief associated with Montesquieu.
Which ideology is closest to Montesquieu?
Conservative Centrism has 94.7% compatibility in the catalog. This score combines axis proximity, overall direction, intensity and the largest difference between the profiles.
Which axis stands out for Montesquieu?
Representation is among the furthest from the center: 70% Democracy and 30% Autocracy. Read all twelve axes to understand the full combination.
Your perspective, in detail
Where do your ideas stand?
Explore twelve dimensions and discover the combinations that make your perspective your own.



