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Which of these people is an Enlightenment philosopher who denounced slavery?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Montesquieu. Montesquieu is an Enlightenment philosopher. In "De l'esprit des lois" he denounces slavery with irony. Think: Montesquieu, against slavery. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “De l'esclavage des nègres (BnF Essentiels)” (in French). The other three choices are explained below.
Sources: Sheet “De l'esclavage des nègres (BnF Essentiels)” (French), read on 15 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ Louis XIVLouis XIVThis is not the right answer: the sheet says Montesquieu uses irony to denounce slave owners.
- ✓ MontesquieuMontesquieuCorrect answer. Montesquieu is an Enlightenment philosopher. In "De l'esprit des lois" he denounces slavery with irony. Think: Montesquieu, against slavery.
- ✗ Napoleon BonaparteNapoléon BonaparteNapoleon Bonaparte restored slavery in 1802.
- ✗ Jules FerryJules FerryThis option does not match what the sheet says: Montesquieu denounces slave owners with irony.
What the source says
« Comme Voltaire, Montesquieu utilise l'ironie pour dénoncer les esclavagistes. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 15 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Parmi ces personnes, laquelle est un philosophe des Lumières qui a dénoncé l'esclavage ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Quel célèbre philosophe des Lumières a dénoncé l'esclavage ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “De l'esclavage des nègres (BnF Essentiels)” (French).
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