The political and legal concepts of John Lock and Charles Montesquie regarding the democratic and the rule-of-law state

Abstract

The article discusses the principles of state government, as defended by two of the greatest political philosophers in the age of Enlightenment: John Locke and Charles Montesquieu. Some of the main legal and political concepts of both authors are studied, that is, civil society, social security, separation of powers, legality, and equality. Thus the analysis outlines the contributions of John Locke and Charles Montesquieu to the evolutionary transition from absolute monarchy to new forms of state governance and political behaviour based on the fundamental requirements of rationality and humanity.