“The corruption of every government begins almost always with the corruption of its principles.”Montesquieu · Despre spiritul legilor · 1748 · Cartea VIII, Capitolul 1
The corruption of a government always begins with the abandonment of its animating principle.
Montesquieu argues that each form of government has a driving principle: in a republic, virtue; in a monarchy, honor; in despotism, fear. When this principle decays, the whole system declines. For example, if in a republic citizens no longer put the common good above personal interest, the republic becomes corrupt.
Why it matters This observation helps us identify early signs of a regime’s decline. We use it when we notice that leaders or citizens no longer respect society’s fundamental values.