Montesquieu,

1
Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, Baron de
Montesquieu (16891755),
An influential French enlightenment political
thinker. His Spirit of the Laws is his best
known work. It is in this work that he explains
his theory of separation of powers and checks and
balances, ideas which powerfully influenced the
American constitution. 
2

• His views on politics and religion
• declaring in favor of separating the executive,
  legislative and judicial power
• toleration in religious belief, and freedom of
  worship
• religious belief has its advantages for civic
  life, far from a conflict between religion and
  society, he insists the one is useful to the
  other
• something he says, must be fixed and
  permanent, and religion is that something.
• the interests of religion and that of the state
  should go hand in hand.