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The Persian Letters of Montesquieu is the story of Usbek and Rhedi, two Persian gentlemen who leave their homes and families to travel to France in search of knowledge. In their travels, they encounter many novel ideas and practices, and in a series of letters they recount these pieces of exotica to each other and to their Persian friends. ... Violence and power that can be linked with despotism and fear are the key concepts in the Persian Letters of Montesquieu. One can define the fear as follows: fear is a "physiological reaction" of the self to excessive physical force. It is an "involuntary," uncontrollable response to threatening power. ... Fear prevents other feelings, thoughts, or aspirations. Because fear is so unjust feeling that controls people, its victims can only experience fear. Disconnected from the exercise of reason, fear is an emotion that is supposed to prevent the individual from acting with any kind of moral or rational agency. Because fear is arisen by intense physical force and excessive violence, despot uses force and violence against victims. Concentrated power is crucial in the fear. Separated power not only diminishes the amount of power a despot can use but also helps the despots victims resist. Despotic power must not be constrained by any rule or law. It must be arbitrary because fear is arisen by the sudden, amusing cruelty of the despot. If the despots victims were able to adjust their actions to avoid his anger, they would cultivate those spaces or zones of security that limit fear. For the same reason, no moral principle should check the exercise of power. To maximize its fearsomeness, despotic power seeks to isolate every individual from everyone else. ... They lack the concerted resources of a community to help them resist despotic power and thereby overcome paralyzing fear. ... The victims of despotic fear are not incapable of familial love and admiration. The harem offers a portrait in miniature of despotism in Persian Letters. Through the literary assumption of the harem, Montesquieu provides a concrete and vivid account of the underlying structures and passions of despotic fear. In the Persian Letters, Usbek can be seen as the despot where women of harem are the victims of the despot. They are victims since they have a great fear of despot. Montesquieu seems to be pointing to here is a limited kind of rationality that affirms despotism. Responding to short-term needs, the victims of despotism act rationally by adjusting their actions to secure the immediate goal of survival. ... Their silence may protect them in the short term, but it sustains the despots power, which threatens their survival over the long term. In The Persian Letters, we discover a fear that works most effectively when it is exercised by multiple actors and elites such as women of harem, eunuchs where each is inspired by different considerations and motivations and even conflicting interests. ... " Not only is he responsible for maintaining strict, clear laws, but also he must use his power to uphold them. "You command as a master like myself," Usbek tells the eunuch, "whenever you fear a weakening of the laws of decency and modesty" (letter 2, p. ... Far from promoting arbitrary violence, Usbek ordains strict rules and conditions for the exercise of violence.
Approximate Word count = 2662
Approximate Pages = 10.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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