Dopo Montesquieu. Helvétius, Boulanger e la storia filosofica

Helvétius and Boulanger both denounced despotism as the most dangerous form of politics, which was the fruit of religion. This explains why the latter asked the former to lead the political movement of French Enlightenment at the end of the 1750s. They both shared Montesquieu’s functionalist theory of political science but they developped this principle in different directions. According to Boulanger monarchy was the only political regime which could be completely secularised; according to Helvétius republic was the best regime, because it was able to meet the contradictory needs of mankind who at the same time wanted to follow their private interests and to answer the enthusiasm of love for country.