In 1748 Montesquieu simultaneously published his immense Spirit of the Laws and republished his brief Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline. Both the date of publication and the evidence of the texts themselves correct contemporary scholars' tendency to discount the status of the Considerations as the unique partner of the Laws. Reading the two works together illuminates Montesquieu's account of the state, his assessment of historical progress, and his predictions for the future of Europe.

中文翻译：

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孟德斯鸠对欧洲状况的思考

1748 年，孟德斯鸠同时发表了他巨大的法律精神，并重新发表了他对罗马人的伟大和衰落原因的简短思考。出版日期和文本本身的证据都纠正了当代学者对考虑因素作为法律唯一伙伴地位的轻视的倾向。结合阅读这两部著作，可以了解孟德斯鸠对国家的描述、对历史进步的评估以及对欧洲未来的预测。