Jean-Louis de Lolme
Encyclopedia
Jean-Louis de Lolme was a Swiss
and English
political theorist
, born in the then semi-independent city of Geneva
. As an adult he moved to England, and became a British subject.
His most famous work is the Constitution de l'Angleterre, which appeared in English as The Constitution of England (1771 in French, and later editions in English) In this book, he advocated a constitution
al form of government enshrining the principle of balanced government, balancing the one, the few, and the many, or the ideas of monarchy
, aristocracy
, and democracy
. De Lolme extolled the British government because, in his view (influenced by his own observations and study as well as by the prewvious writings of Voltaire
and Montesquieu), the unwritten constitution of government of Great Britain
embodied the ideal of balanced government better than any other government of the time. De Lolme in particular praised the elements of representative
democracy
in the unwritten English constitution, and urged an extension of the suffrage
. He developed and refined his political thinking to a large extent in opposition to the more radical theory of direct democracy
advocated by his compatriot, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, whom de Lolme accused of being unrealistic. De Lolme is sometimes identified as a probable candidate for being the person behind the pseudonymous political commentator Junius
.
De Lolme influenced many of the framers of the American
constitution
. One founding father who was not present in Philadelphia but whose Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States influenced the delegates there was John Adams
, who praised De Lolme's book as one of the best on the subject of constitutionalism ever written. Some have argued that De Lolme's work also influenced the Constitution of Norway
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
political theorist
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
, born in the then semi-independent city of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. As an adult he moved to England, and became a British subject.
His most famous work is the Constitution de l'Angleterre, which appeared in English as The Constitution of England (1771 in French, and later editions in English) In this book, he advocated a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
al form of government enshrining the principle of balanced government, balancing the one, the few, and the many, or the ideas of monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
, and democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. De Lolme extolled the British government because, in his view (influenced by his own observations and study as well as by the prewvious writings of Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
and Montesquieu), the unwritten constitution of government of Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
embodied the ideal of balanced government better than any other government of the time. De Lolme in particular praised the elements of representative
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in the unwritten English constitution, and urged an extension of the suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
. He developed and refined his political thinking to a large extent in opposition to the more radical theory of direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
advocated by his compatriot, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, whom de Lolme accused of being unrealistic. De Lolme is sometimes identified as a probable candidate for being the person behind the pseudonymous political commentator Junius
Junius
Junius was the pseudonym of a writer who contributed a series of letters to the Public Advertiser, from 21 January 1769 to 21 January 1772. The signature had been already used, apparently by him, in a letter of 21 November 1768...
.
De Lolme influenced many of the framers of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. One founding father who was not present in Philadelphia but whose Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States influenced the delegates there was John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
, who praised De Lolme's book as one of the best on the subject of constitutionalism ever written. Some have argued that De Lolme's work also influenced the Constitution of Norway
Constitution of Norway
The Constitution of Norway was first adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll , then signed and dated May 17...
.