Which Enlightenment thinker wrote Spirit of the Laws and argued for separation of powers?

• A. Montesquieu
• B. Voltaire
• C. Rousseau
• D. Hobbes

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is separating government powers into independent branches to prevent tyranny. Montesquieu argued that legislative, executive, and judicial powers should be distinct and check one another, so no single body could dominate the state. In Spirit of the Laws, he analyzes how different institutions can balance authority and protect liberty, laying a foundation for modern constitutional design, including the concept of checks and balances.

Voltaire, while a fierce defender of civil liberties and religious tolerance, did not develop a formal system of separated powers. Rousseau emphasized the general will and popular sovereignty, not a structural division of government powers. Hobbes urged a strong central authority to control human nature and avoid chaos, rather than advocating distributed powers.

So the thinker who wrote Spirit of the Laws and argued for separation of powers is Montesquieu.