Sadly, the cultural impact of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) has been mostly detrimental. Why? Because intellectuals have retained the worst part of Montaigne’s ideas and forgotten his valuable insights. Am I exaggerating in my assessment? I do not think so. Let us look at three wrong Montaigne’s ideas that have taken root in popular culture, and that many people regard as indisputable truths. Lack of intellectual structure is a severe deficiency that undermines Montaigne’s essays. It shows in his inability to tell apart the crucial elements from the accessories. If we talk indistinctly about entertainment, hobbies, games, and philosophical truths, there is a degradation of the latter. If we place trivialities and important things at the same level, we are degrading the latter. Montaigne’s essays lack plan, structure and proportion; they present philosophical discussions side by side with trivialities. As an example, I point to Montaigne’s essay “On Diversion.” In this essay, Montaigne explains the advantages of hobbies and other leisure activities, but says nothing that the average reader would not have already figured out himself. The fact that Montaigne uses Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) as an example doesn’t add any depth to the arguments. It is nice to know that Cicero enjoyed reading poetry, but what practical knowledge can we draw from such an anecdote? None. Montaigne also points out that, in Ancient Rome, people loved to attend theatre performances, in particular comedies written by Plautus (254-184 BC). I would compare Plautus’ comedies to the soap operas that fill TV cable channels in the morning. Indeed, numerous people watch those soap operas, but what’s the point? There is nothing to be learned from those nor from Plautus’ plays. By choosing trivial subjects, Montaigne wasted the readers’ time and patience. Sadly, some magazines, radio stations, and TV channels today have adopted the same practice. By turning trivialities into their main fare, they are steering away from important subjects. I regret that this cultural trend, initiated by Montaigne, has reached enormous proportions. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/critique-of-michel-de-montaignes-cultural-impact/
