The Flux of Man and Nature:
Change as an Elemental Constituent of Montaigne’s Philosophy
“The world is but a perpetual see-saw.”
This idea is reflected in several of Montaigne’s essays, and is a fundamental tenet of his philosophy. The only constant that he sees in the world around him is change itself; this is also noticeable in his misleading titles. He often changes his focus before the completion of a given essay. Montaigne applies this view of the world in many different contexts to justify a variety of his own opinions on the nature of society and humanity in 16th century Europe.
This idea of the world as a veritable see-saw is approached quite literally in Montaigne’s brief essay, That one man’s profit is another’s loss. He explains that if any man looks inward at his own motives, that “he will find that his . . . wishes are for the most part born and nourished at the expense of others.” This idea on the nature of man, he writes, reflects the scientific idea that the birth of one thing is dependant on the “change or decay of another.” While many of his essay’s titles may be perceived as misleading, Montaigne is straightforward in this essay. He applies an analogy from science to make a statement about relationships between people in modern society.
In his essay, On repentance, he uses this idea to confront the subject of morality and vice in humankind. Montaigne’s argument is that, because man is ever-changing, “we do not so much give up our vices as change them, and in my opinion for the worse.” Thus, man must be studied and examined in the moment, because his nature is in a constant state of flux. This is not to say, that the observed subject is the only reason for this emphasis on moment by moment living. At the beginning of the essay, Montaigne explains that he may, “approach [his] subject under different circumstances and with other considerations.” Therefore, he is presenting the idea, that humankind is without an absolute frame of reference with which to judge one another, and rather, that only those vices dictated by the “reason and nature”of God may be considered absolute. Furthermore, the title, On repentance, is ironic in relationship to what Montaigne actually addresses in the essay. The essay has little to do with man’s regret over his actions and more to do with the lack of an immutable perspective with which to judge him.
Montaigne continues this focus on morality and judgement in his essay, That our actions should be judged by our intentions. It is his contention that, “we cannot be held responsible beyond our strength and means, since the resulting events are quite outside of our control and, in fact, we have power over nothing except our will.” Because the circumstances and environments we live in are not constant, he makes the point that man cannot always be held accountable. However, after stating this contention, his essay markedly changes its focus, moving from a discussion of motivation to one of penitence that would seem to fit more readily into his later chapter, On repentance. Regardless of this fact, he still postulates that the “duty [of man] must of necessity be founded,” in the life of his own will.
By observing the changing nature of humankind and his own society around him, Montaigne is able to detach himself somewhat from the subjective viewpoints that bind him and all men from absolute understanding. Montaigne succeeds in following his doctrine of holding no invariable statement of view by embracing this principle throughout his collection of essays. In doing so, he grants himself the opportunity to make an assortment of profound observations on the motivations and actions of man in society.
Note: All quotations are from various essays written by Montaigne that I discuss in my essay.
See also Montaigne...