Montaigne's Essays

Montaigne’s Essays Notes

A Collaboration between

Hikaru Kasai

Eric Jackson

Taylor Wall

Ephraim Rodriguez

Michael Hall

Book 1 (1-57)

Ch.1 That Mean by Various Ways Arrive at the same end

• people deal with someone they angered before who has the upper hand in 2 ways
• they act nice to make them feel sorry
• or they act against according to their will

Ch. 2 Of Sorrow

• argues that the strongest emotions can’t be expressed

Ch. 3 that our affections carry themselves beyond us should be buried

• even after death, the work or symbol of the person can still live on through a physical object to remind others of that person

Ch. 4 That the Soul Expends Its Passions Upon False Objects, Where the True Are Wanting

• people tend to blame others when something bad happens

Ch. 5  Whether the Governor of a Place Besieged Ought Himself To Go Out To Parley

• in war, Montaigne wouldn’t negotiate with enemies unless he has no choice

Ch. 6 That the Hour of Parley Dangerous

• in war, he would use all his force to win in a fair manner

Ch. 7 That the Intention is the Judge of Our Actions

• those who reveal their grudge or hatred right before they die are cowards and wrong

Ch. 8 Of Idleness

• an idle mind creates endless thoughts - stream of consciousness

Ch. 9 Of Liars

• Montaigne has bad memory
• 2 types of liars, one who make everything up and one who alters the truth

Ch. 10 Of Quick or Slow Speech

• Montaigne is better unprepared in most situations as he can freely express his thoughts at that moment

Ch. 11 Of Prognostications

• people like to think more about the future than the present, and Montaigne thinks it needs to be vice-versa

Ch. 12 Of Constancy

• when reacting to a sudden negative event, one should not be overtaken by fear, but act rationally

Ch. 13 The Ceremony of the Interview of Princes

• It is important to use one’s judgement to decide if a social custom should be followed
• good social rules can create positive role models for others

Ch. 14 That Men are Justly Punished for Being Obstinate in the Defence of a Fort that is not in reason to be defended

• it is foolish for a person with bravery to overtake something they cannot win (the soldier facing an entire squad knowing he will be defeated is stupid)

Ch. 15 Of the Punishment of Cowardice

• cowardice should be punished by humiliating that person so that it may “awaken their courage”
• harshly punishing a coward can end up making them enemies, or killing them wouldn’t do any good either

Ch. 16 A Proceeding of Some Ambassadors

• Ambassadors sometimes need to use their own good judgement appropriate
• taking the literal orders from kings can sometimes delay or worsen the situation

Ch. 17 Of Fear

• fear can nullify all of our senses and rationality
• Greeks describe a type of fear that strikes crowds of people without warning
• fear has the potential to turn the strongest into the weakest

Ch. 18 That Men are Not to Judge of Our Happiness Till After Death

• life can be very uncertain and unpredictable - kings become clerks, conquerors become beggars
• One can’t determine the happiness of another’s life until they have died
• one could be pretending or living a false life , and the truth will come to light at the moment of death
• Montaigne recalls his close friend Etienne de la Boetie’s death, where he explains his friend has died in happiness

Ch. 19 That to Study Philosophy is to Learn to Die

• Cicero-studying philosophy is to prepare you for your death
• the main goals in life is to seek pleasure, and make the most use of it
• voluptuous (extreme sensational pleasure)
• Montaigne tried to live life to ease the fear of death since the thought and fate of death is inevitable
• the Roman euphemized the word death as “he has ceased to live”
• according to Montaigne, the best way to prepare for death is to be constantly reminded of it (dried human skeleton was brought during an Egyptian feast)
• people should always be ready to accept death
• a life without death is worse than a life with death, all beings need to be mortal

Ch. 20 Of the Force of Imagination

• Montaigne dislikes dirty tricks
• sometimes your body will believe imaginations/tricks and make that physical part happen

Ch. 21 That the Profit of One Man is the Damage of Another

• For one to gain or profit, another must lose - balance in life

Ch. 22 of Custom, and that we should not change easily change a law received

• Tradition and ignorance around the world blinds most cultures to new ideas, technology, and rationality keeping people living in the past.

Ch. 23 Various Events from the Same Counsel

• Assassination attempts 'under the same console' reviewing different attempts made by leaders of Europe to prevent their disposition.
• Mentions Ancient and Renaissance rulers methods of gaining power, increasing it, and protecting it.

Ch. 24 Of Pedantry

• Knowledge like anything else should expand at a steady rate too intelligent makes one arrogant.
• Being pompous about nobility and bloodline is a flaw of many men.

Ch. 25 Of the Education of Children

• Education is best done through reading various authors and a want to learn. "...the greatest and most important difficulty of human science is the education of children".

Ch. 26 That it is Folly to Measure Truth

• Listening and believing everything one hears is foolish.
• Not everything unexplainable should be attributed to divinity or witchcraft.
• "Glory and curiosity are the scourges of the soul; the last prompts us to thrust our noses into everything, the other forbids us to leave anything doubtful and undecided".

Ch. 27 Of Friendship

• Friendship can be a close relationship but never as close as blood.
• Friendships are forged not from obligations but voluntary choice of both people to help each other.

Ch. 28  nine and Twenty Sonnets of Estienne De La Boitie

• These were not enjoyed by the author he said they were, "They scarce contain anything but amorous complaints, expressed in a very rough style, discovering the follies and outrages of a restless."

Ch. 29 Of Moderation

• Religious points of view support conservation from Benedictine monk practices of almost nothing to limited possessions. Trade makes moderation harder to keep as more wealth and greed can lead to overconsumption.

Ch. 30 Of Cannibals

• The passage equates barbarism with cannibalism talking about how most pre Hellenistic societies were one or both.
• A friend who visited the New World continues this by explaining how the natives lived as the Europeans colonized.

Ch. 31 That a Man is Soberly to judge of the Divine Ordinances

• Few men have the ability and true right to speak for God as too many attempt to do.
• Examples of pagans speaking to their deities for forgiveness.
• It ends by saying no one can know God's will or thoughts.

Ch. 32 That We are to Avoid Pleasures, Even at the Expenses of Life

• Moderation and morality should guide be away from overindulging. Saint Hilary suffered from his greed and materialism and not enough to God.

Ch. 33 That Fortune is Oftentimes Observed to Act by the Rule of Reason

• Examples of rulers from Antiquity to the Renaissance and how they used reason to aid their fortune.
• The wise leaders led to thriving states whereas explained later those who were tyrants failed and lost their kingdoms.

Ch. 34 Of the One Defect in Our Government

• The defect Montaigne refers to is the need to aid the meek and poor.
• This should be done not through simple handouts but a hand up by employing the person.
• That way both parties will mutually gain in value and experience.

Ch. 35 Of the Custom of Wearing Clothes

• In discussing different cultures the necessity of clothing is mentioned. In Turkey it is said men would walk nude this is not considered disgraceful there.
• Other places are new areas being discovered by Europeans in the tropics where almost no clothes are worn.
• This is seen as uncivilized and unacceptable to any civilized person.

Ch. 36 Of Cato the Younger

• being judgmental or overly critical is never just nor good. Judgments should be reversed until more information on the matter is present or left up to God.

Ch. 37 That We Laugh and Cry for the Same Thing

• throughout the essay there are instances of conquerors and the defeated. The moral of the story is victory may be intoxicating but there is always sorrow even for the victor.

Ch. 38 Of Solitude

• General corruption from statesman to give themselves advantages over others. Other thoughts on how we can abandon an area but never truly escape ourselves. Trying to or having others do so is beneficial to no one.

Ch. 39 A Consideration Upon Cicero

• Like most Montaigne thinks Cicero was extremely arrogant and self-centered. He finds aspects of Cicero enjoyable but much of his personal life revolting as he only wanted power and fame.

Ch. 40 That the Relish for Good and Evil Depends in Great Measure Upon that Opinion We Have of Them

• This excerpt was written for the reasons to die for their cause. Wars in the Greek world over who dictates the laws.
• To foreign religious beliefs such as satari, when one joins their husband on the funeral pyre. Other reasons include customs, culture, and the want to fight tyranny.

Ch. 41 Not to Communicate a Man’s Honour

• The thesis is primarily about the endless quest for more desirable things and how it leads most down a destructive pathway.

Ch. 42 Of the Inequality Amongst Us

• “the wise man is the master of all his fortunes” - Plautus
• One should be judged based on their character and not of his physical features
• importunate - persistence to where it is annoying
• People tend to structure themselves with a leader/ruler/king etc to maintain the lower class

Ch. 43 Of Sumptuary Laws

• Sumptuary - limiting private spending of food and personal items
• Locrians had laws about manners of women for night
• Only certain classes of people should consume certain items
• pestiferous - annoying
• criticized the french laws of 1600

Ch. 44 Of Sleep

• Many great men are serene before doing great things
• Believes passion should take hold sometimes so that they aren’t insensible

Ch. 45 Of the Battle of Dreux

• Sometimes in life you have to lead with your head instead of your heart
• Courage and valor do not always win battles

Ch. 46 Of Names

• People often use titles and names to up their status or fame
• None of the accreditation is real because they didn’t earn it
• Some claim to be someone they’re not
• Real names and accomplishment are eventually lost

Ch. 47 Of the Uncertainty of Our Judgment

• Decisions have consequences on both sides
• Those that choose not to kick people while they are down are seen as weak
• Those that do run the risk of inciting revolt based on necessity and desperation
• A leader who chooses to head an army in disguise risks losing the courage his men derive from his presence
• Making an army stand still to receive an enemy can deprive them of the ferocity and anticipation that comes with the first clash
• Making an army stand still can help preserve strength while the enemy wastes theirs

Ch. 48 Of War Horses, or Destriers

• There are many different uses for horses in battle
• Some were taught to distinguish enemies and attack them
• This would either help or hurt their master who rode them
• In some cultures those who rode horses were above slaves who walked on foot
• In battle you stake your valor and fortune upon that of your horse
• Horses returning from battle were honored with the soldiers

Ch. 49 Of Ancient Customs

• Every different population has its own unique customs, and some that they share
• Such customs were to fight with rapier and cloak and bathe in perfumed water
• We in the present constantly try to emulate their debauchery and viciousness
• This vigor of soul seen in ancient generations is lost in us no matter how hard we try to parallel it

Ch. 50 Of Democritus and Heraclitus

• Judgment is present in all things
• Montaigne tries his hardest to see every point in his argument but its impossible
• Those who don’t see the functions of the soul in their inferior offices as well as in their nobler offices can never fully judge it
• Democritus was a philosopher who thought mankind ridiculous and vain and always had a laughing countenance, Montaigne agreed with him because laughing expresses condemnation and he felt mankind could never be despised enough
• Heraclitus was always weeping, and Montaigne disagreed with him because he seemed to have compassion for mankind which implied that it was worth the effort

ch. 51 of the vanity of words

• Rhetoric is defined as “a science to persuade the people” and “an art to flatter and deceive”
• It is useful when trying to govern a disorderly government like Rome
• Words and eloquence are present in chambermaids and cooks even though they are thought to be associated with power and status
• Titles have no bearing on one’s character or worth

ch. 52 of the parsimony of the ancients

• The ancients were very frugal in their spending
• Cato sold his horse so he wouldn’t have to pay for it to be brought back
• Homer never had more than one servant, and Zeno had none

ch. 53 Of a saying of Caesar

• We cannot establish our satisfaction in any one thing
• It is the saying of Caesar “that we at once repose most confidence, and receive the greatest apprehensions, from things unseen, concealed, and unknown.”

ch. 54 of vain subtleties

• In studying two extremities they always meet in the middle
• Avarice and desire, ignorance and knowledge
• There are an infinite number of parallel examples

ch. 55 of smells

• Some believe that to smell at all is to stink and have an odor
• They believe people who use perfumes to stink because they are trying to disguise another odor
• Montaigne likes simple and natural smells which is why he doesn’t like Paris or Venice

ch. 56 of prayers

• Montaigne believes we are to have our souls clean of all wicked passions when we pray to God
• Some people pray only as a custom or as a fashion, and others pray in hypocrisy
• An untoward disease that a man should be so riveted to his own belief as to fancy that others cannot believe otherwise
• The Holy Book is to be read and handled with care
• Some forbid the alteration of the book into another language
• Some people don’t understand one syllable of the religion they profess and in this their devoutness is present
• It is better to keep the divine doctrine apart from the state
• Some make use of prayers as a kind of jargon

ch. 57 of age

• We call dying of old age a natural death, but more people die in shipwrecks and accidents
• Montaigne believes that because living to forty is considered abnormal that the age to be able to become a judge etc. was too old
• He also believed that they spent too much time as apprentices and weren’t employed early enough
• Great men did great things and achieved glory more in their youth than in their old age
• As people grow old either the mind submits first or the body

Book 2 (1-36)

Ch. 1 of the inconstancy of our actions

• Irresolution appears to be the most common vice of our nature
• Some choose to form a judgment of a man based on his general nature without observing all his faults and virtues
• No one can be constant because life is based on circumstance
• We follow the inclinations of our appetite
• Anger and necessity can rouse someone’s spirits and make them appear to be brave
• There are so many traits present in a person, and sometimes the action is commendable not the man

Ch. 2 Of Drunkenness

• There are good vices and bad vices and Montaigne thinks drinking is a gross and brutish vice
• The worst state of a man is when he loses the knowledge and government of himself
• Some philosophers promote drinking
• The most perfect soul in the world has to do too much to keep itself upright and from being overthrown by weakness
• It is not in our nature to suppress our vices completely

Ch. 3 A Custom of the Isle of Cea

• Montaigne believes suicide is our right if dying is easier than living
• Some believe we cannot die by our own hand because it was not willed by God
• In endeavoring to evade death we often run right into it
• It is a disease particular to man to despise itself and want to become something else

Ch. 4 To-Morrow’s a New Day

• When people defer to read letters it can show respect to their present company
• It can also be looked upon as negligence if they are important men
• Some instances where letters were left until tomorrow proved to be fatal

Ch. 5 Of Conscience

• Conscience makes us betray and fight against ourselves for want of another witness
• Punishment is born at the same time as sin
• Whoever expects punishment already suffers it, and whoever has deserved it expects it

Ch. 6 Use Makes Perfect

• We need to exercise and form the soul by experience to the course for which we designed it
• Merely approaching death is to practice it
• Men must look inward to truly know themselves

Ch. 7 Of Recompenses of Honour

• talks about how men with great valor should be recompensed

• Honor should not be awarded cheap or without value
• valour is considered “the highest degree of virtue”

Ch. 8 Of the Affection of Fathers to their Children

• a letter to Madame D’Estissac (a widow) talking about her son
• Fathers should lead a good role model for children, and make education their priority for children
• imbecility - something that is foolish
• argues that parents need to have their kids love them through love, and not by their need for money
• Montaigne married when he was 33

Ch 9. Of the Arms of the Parthians

• Montaigne describes the history of battle and the apparel soldiers used to wear. During Roman times they were nearly bare and only carried a pear and a shield. In more recent times they for suits of iron with limited mobility and vision. This symbolizes the change in people, it is harder for people to be more open about things and how people can be so close-minded.

Ch 10. Of Books

• Montaigne states, “These are fancies of my own, by which I do not pretend to discover things but to lay open myself…” This is personal evidence from Montaigne that what he is writing is personal and coming straight from him. This can also show that he is writing his stream of consciousness.
• Montaigne’s inspirations are Virgil, Lucretius, Catullus, and Horace.

Ch. 11 Of Cruelty

• Virtue: Behaving morally, but it is not natural and requires some type of effort. Montaigne says God is naturally good therefore he is not virtuous.
• Montaigne’s shows reverence to “beasts” (animals) he enjoys that in past civilizations that they showed care toward animals. The Romans used to feed public geese, the Agrigentines  had kindness for horses dogs and birds, and the Egyptians mummified dogs, cats, wolves, bears, and crocodiles.

Ch. 12 Of Judging the Death of Another

• Montaigne writes about the many types of death; suicide, murder , and premeditated murder. Julius Caesar says that he preferred a faster death that wasn’t planned.

Ch. 13 That Our Mind Hinders Itself

• Montaigne says that our mind is always stuck between two things that are of necessity. An example he uses is the bottle and the ham, one can either starve or die of thirst but we are destined to die so no matter what we choose the outcome is no different.

Ch. 14 That Our desires are Augmented by Difficulty

• Montaigne alludes to a philosopher that says that anything that is good for you will not bring pleasure.
• Montaigne advises his audience to not mess around with mistresses because in the end they are more detrimental than the pleasure they may bring

Ch. 15 Of Glory

• Though there are many glorious acts being committed, like soldiers going to war. Not all of them are going to be heard by the public. It is unfair that many people will not get the recognition they deserve, only the people that  are “wealthy” like Caesar and Augustine, both f their stories were told except for their valiant soldiers.

Ch. 16 Of Presumption

• Montaigne says that being ambitious can sometimes bring is worse than just staying conservative and playing it safe. He says that the fear of falling is scarier than the falling itself.  I entirely disagree with this statement and fell like there should be more risk in life
• Montaigne loves his adopted daughter Marie de Gournay le Jars more than anything in his life.

Ch. 17 Of Giving the Lie

• Montaigne’s thoughts on lying are that it is cowardly to do so, a good and honest man is the most honorable.

Ch. 18 Of Liberty of Conscience

• Montaigne judges pagan books and calls them barbarians. He dislikes anyone that doesn’t believe in god and thinks that they are living life blind. Though this contradicts the title of this essay Montaigne is heavily religious and wants everyone to be that way.

Ch. 19 That We Taste Nothing Pure

• consanguinity - state of noting one has descended from the same ancestor
• Metrodorus - “in sorrow, there is some mixture of pleasure”
• pleasure always has some form of bitterness that comes with it

Ch. 20 Against Idleness

• Vespasian died of disease.
• He compliments Mule Muloch on his strategic advancements on Portugal and how he won the battle that killed three kings.

Ch. 21 Of Posting

• Montaigne talks about speed of travel. Caesar 100 miles a day. Nero went 200 miles in only one day
• Cecina utilizes a swallow to send messages back to his family during travel.

Ch. 22 Of Ill means Employed to a Good End

• Diseases within Europe flourish rapidly. It scares everyone even the doctors. People are purged (bled out) as a remedy but it only kills off the population.
• Montaigne also talks about slavery and how it is not right for these innocent people.

Ch. 23 Of the Roman Grandeur

• Montaigne talks about how the Romans weren’t a group that took everything, but a group that also gave. Augustus would take over new territories but restore the people he took from

Ch. 24 Not to Counterfeit Being Sick

• The story of Caelius where he pretended to have gout by wearing bandages and limping around everywhere, in the end he actually got the sickness. Metaphorically speaking it is not okay to pretend to be the victim because in the end you will be th victim

Ch. 25 Of Thumbs

• “The populace, with inverted thumbs, kill all that come before them.” This quote symbolizes the colosseum games and how many were killed just by the flick of a thumb

Ch. 26 Cowardice the Mother of Cruelty

• Emperor Mohammed used to cut people in half through the diaphragm. It was swift but cruel.
• Croesus took his brother to shop and had him scratched to death.
• Lucat, George Sachel’s brother, and 20 other captains ate George and drank his blood.

Ch. 27 All Things have Their Season

• “Various things delight various men, all things are not for all ages.” Montaigne uses this quote to state that there is a time and place for everything. Like some people are hungry for acquiring wealth, but Montaigne advises the to be patient and the wealth will come eventually.

Ch. 28 Of Virtue

• Montaigne talks about the bad many people do like a man would beat his wife, she got ill with cholera and jumped into a river and drowned. He uses examples of sin to explain that being virtuous is important in life to be a better person to better the world for everyone and for God.

Ch. 29  Of a Monstrous Child

• story about a child who is connected to another, the moral being that while some things seems strange to us, it is not in the eyes of god for he has made them that way for a reason.  

Ch. 30 Of Anger

• describes how anger can cause rash decisions and that one should not hit their children or severts out of anger because it is not a wise form of correction, rather it is revenge
• saying one thing and doing is another

Ch. 31 Defence of Seneca and Plutarch

• talks about how useful and important these two authors work has been  for his own books
• defends the reputation of Plutarch from Jean Bodin who accuses him of being ignorant and writing things that are “incredible, and absolutely fabulous”

Ch. 32 The Story of Spurina  

• moderation is a virtue and gives more work than suffering
• reason excels the ordinary life in innocence, while the great excel in unity and force

Ch.33 Observation on the Means to Carry on a War According  to Julius Caesar

• this selection is detailed descriptions of some the battles Caesar lead, such as wars in Gual

Ch.34 Of Three Good Woman

• talks about the connections of husband and wife and how they react with death

Ch. 35 Of the Most Excellent Men

• in his views three of the greatest men were: Homer, Alexander the Great, and  Epaminondas. All of these men were chosen for different reasons

Ch. 36 Of the Resemblance of Children to their Fathers

• as far as physicians go, chance is more valuable than knowledge
• there were never two opinions alike

Book 3 (1-13)

Ch.1 of Profit and Honesty

• “I will follow the good side right to the fire, but not into it if I can help it.”

Ch.2 of Repentance

• Few men have been admired by their own households.
• I may desire in general to be other than I am but I ought not to call this repentance, no more than the being dissatisfied that I am not an angel

Ch. 3 of Three Commerces

• testimony of the elder cato
• “Tis to be, but not to live, to keep a man's self tied and bound by necessity to one only course; those are the bravest souls that have in them the most variety and pliancy.”

Ch. 4 of Diversion

• "Let no man be ashamed to speak what he is not ashamed to think”
• A man goes the wrong way to work when he opposes this passion; for opposition does but irritate and make them more obstinate in sorrow; the evil is exasperated by discussion

Ch. 5  Upon Some Verses of Virgil

• marriage happens as with cages: the birds without despair to get in, and those within despair of getting out.

Ch. 6 of Coaches

• It is very easy to verify, that great authors, when they write of causes, not only make use of those they think to be the true causes, but also of those they believe not to be so

Ch. 7 of the Inconvenience of Greatness

• Greatness has, in general, this manifest advantage, that it can lower itself when it pleases, and has, very near, the choice of both the one and the other condition

Ch. 8 of the art of Conference

• what is done can never be undone, all judgments in gross are weak and imperfect.
• “'Tis a custom of our justice to condemn some for a warning to others.”

Ch. 9 of Vanity

• There is no man so good that if he placed all his actions and thoughts under the scrutiny of the laws, he would not deserve hanging ten times in his life.
• “A man must be a little mad if he does not want to be even more stupid.”

Ch.10 of Managing the Will

• 'Tis my opinion that a man should lend himself to others, and only give himself to himself. Were my will easy to lend itself out and to be swayed, I should not stick there; I am too tender both by nature and use”

Ch. 11 of Cripples

• “I have seen no more evident monstrosity and miracle in the world than myself.”

Ch. 12 Of Physiognomy

• physiognomy - relating a person’s physical features to his or her character
• impetuous - acting on emotion, acting without thought
• gestures and facial expressions have the ability to tell others your thoughts
• certain physical features of a person can supposively categorize their nature (ex: round face means that person tends to be lazy, easy going)

Ch. 13 Of Experience

• knowledge is the most desired entity for man
• Montaigne desired to study himself at a greater depth
• Having concise laws would only favor a few while having less concise laws would lead to ambiguity
• Since the “art of medicine” during his time was not great, he argues people should accept diseases and learn how to cope with them
• stresses the importance of the blending of mind, body, and soul; one cannot improve without the other
• “A man must search into the nature of things, and fully examine what she requires.” -  Cicero
• Montaigne makes use of everything or every idea he comes across to his advantage, and not let it “slide” and have the opportunity wasted