关键词: 孟德斯鸠, 《论法的精神》, “地理环境决定论”

Abstract: Montesquieu(Jan.18,1689-Feb.10,1755),an ideologist of the Enlightenment in France in 18 century, published his final and the best work De l'Esprit des Lois in 1748.The work's Chinese version was published in 1961.In the work, the relationships between laws and geographical factors uch as climate and soil are so discussed in a lengthy words from chapter 14 to chapter 18 in volume 3 that Montesquieu was taken wrongly as an environmentalist.It is difficulty to date the time since and to point who expanded the influence of single geographical factor upon the law, which is related by Montesquieu in his work,to the determinant of synthetic geographical environment upon the human.But it is easy to understand, after reading the concerned chapters of his work carefully,that Montesquieu only emphasized the influence of climatic and soil factors upon human and human activities rather than determinative.Furthermore,when discussing the factors influence upon human,Montesquieu considered climate in the same way as other factors.Therefore,Montesquieu is really not an environmentalist.Although some scholars, both the Western and Chinese, had pointed out and corrected the mistake, some people still keep the previous ideas in mind.It is wished that the mistake is no longer continued.

Key words: Montesquieu, De l’Esprit des Lois, Environmentalist