In the introduction to his translation of the Essais, Donald Frame attempts to describe the subject of his translation. He says, “Montaigne resists simple definitions. He is the first essayist, a skeptic, an acute student of himself and of man, a champion of a man-based morality, a vivid and charming stylist, and many other things besides. No one description tells nearly enough, and indeed it is hard to see which one to place at the center” (introduction, v).
As a philosophical figure, Michel de Montaigne partakes in a unique approach to the field. Rather than develop concretely logical arguments founded upon the shoulders of the philosophical giants that came before him, Montaigne’s philosophical views are personal and grounded in nature, cultivated through an introspective quest to understand the world through analysis of himself. Due to the “accidental” philosophical nature of his completed Essais, his views are not as clearly defined and argumentative as those of typical philosophers. However, the breadth of topics covered in his work reveals a particular view on the purpose of philosophy itself, which revitalizes ancient beliefs on what it means to be a philosopher and who gets to do so. To Montaigne, the purpose of philosophy is a practical quest for wisdom, something necessary for the average person to have access to and explore in their own lives. The argument intertwined with the Essais lies within Montaigne’s belief of philosophy’s purpose as an exploratory, individualistic tool for use in everyday life that expresses itself through the nature of his writing.
In the sixteenth century, philosophy was traditionally regarded as a divine pursuit of higher knowledge, closed from the public by the academic intellectuals capable of exploring it to its highest reaches. In other words, it was restricted to the elite. Montaigne rejects this notion with an approach centered around the individual, in which philosophy is a tool with roots in each person’s subjective reality. He says, “…Nor can man raise himself above himself and humanity; for he can see only with his own eyes, and seize only with his own grasp” (457). Montaigne effectively rejects the popular notions of philosophy by “reducing it” to fit within the grasp of the individual limited by their own humanity. This enables Montaigne to situate his work as following an everyday man’s philosophy, not only appealing to a much broader audience but falling into the practice of his own beliefs on how philosophy should be done. Montaigne searches for the good in the world around him in a manner reminiscent of ancient thinkers like the Stoics, Epicureans, and Platonists to live a good life rather than focusing his efforts on the memorization of metaphysical and aesthetic arguments from famous philosophers. He says, “God forbid, says someone in Plato, that philosophizing should mean learning a number of things and discussing the arts! This most valuable of all arts, the art of living well, they followed rather in their lives than in their writings [Cicero]” (124). His interest in ancient philosophy informs the belief that if mankind is limited by its humanity, it should learn how best to live with it rather than seek ways to overcome it. Montaigne asserts through his work that philosophy is a tool of action and wisdom rather than knowledge of grandiose theories that ultimately have no effect on an individual’s life. He stands out from most philosophical figures in this way, and the Essais acts as an artifact of relation for readers who wish to partake in the same philosophy as Montaigne’s as it argues for his stance on philosophy’s purpose.
The crux of doing philosophy for Montaigne is a person’s ability to think for themselves – without this as the foundation of their thought, he argues that they cannot truly obtain any meaningful wisdom about themselves. While this does not reject the centuries of literature and arguments accumulated in philosophy, it places power in the hands of the individual rather than those that came before them for philosophical reasoning. He says, “As for doing what I have discovered others doing, covering themselves with other men’s armor until they don’t show even their finger-tips, and carrying out their plan, as is easy for the learned in common subjects, with ancient inventions pieced out here and there—for those who want to hide their borrowings and appropriate them, this is first of all injustice and cowardice, that, having nothing of their own worth bringing out, they try to present themselves under false colors… I do not speak the minds of others except to speak my own mind better” (108). This idea speaks to the context of his time – Aristotle’s logic and arguments were often universally accepted premises upon which students were educated, people developed their thinking, and philosophy was done. While Montaigne scoffs at the rampant tendency for individuals to use someone else’s reasoning over their own, he asserts the importance of understanding past philosophy to inform one’s reasoning. He says, “Truth and reason are common to everyone, and no more belong to the man who first spoke them than to the man who says them later” (111). In essence, the ability to think for oneself is indeed at the core of Montaigne’s view of philosophy but looking to the wisdom of past philosophers can help one navigate the process. Montaigne sets philosophy’s parameters within the reach of the individual and insists that its purpose resides within the individual’s capabilities of reason. The purpose of doing philosophy then is for practical use in the same manner as his Essais function. The self-discovery and consideration of different philosophical viewpoints that perpetuate Montaigne’s writings suggest that his quest to understand the world through the analysis of himself is directly reminiscent of his stance on philosophy’s purpose. Constant rejection of the common philosophical notions of his time (many of which persist into modern society) illuminates the process of a man doing philosophy to understand philosophy. Montaigne declares that “The soul in which philosophy dwells should by its health make even the body healthy. It should make its tranquility and gladness shine out from within; should form in its own mold the outward demeanor, and consequently arm it with graceful pride, an active and joyous bearing, and a contented and good-natured countenance. The surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness; her state is like that of things above the moon, ever serene” (119). In Montaigne’s view, philosophy’s aim is to help a person live for themselves, understand themselves, and ultimately achieve a good life. As such, the Essais reveal Montaigne’s argument for philosophy’s purpose by acting as an example of the exact philosophy that he insists upon the value of.
Glossary:
Skepticism: The philosophical inclination to doubt commonly accepted notions.
Individualist: A philosophical viewpoint that emphasizes the subjectivity of the individual and the importance of their individuality and autonomy.
Wisdom: Practical knowledge of human life and the process of navigating it.
Works Cited:
Michel De Montaigne, and Donald Murdoch Frame. The Complete Works of Montaigne: Essays, Travel Journal, Letters. Stanford, Calif., Stanford University Press, 1989.