Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (/ˈmɒntᵻskjuː/;[1] French: [mɔ̃tɛskjø]; 18 January 1689 – 10 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment.