What we call “humanistic” nowadays has little to do with the work of humanists in the sixteenth century, such as Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). They were digging into the past in order to regain concepts that had been lost. They were fighting against centuries of intellectual distortion, misrepresentations, and contradictions. That’s not the case today.
Montaigne would devote dozens of hours to compose a little essay such as “On the parsimony of the ancients.” He would read and reread ancient sources such as Plutarch, Seneca and Cicero; and he would formulate his conclusions carefully and politely to prevent unnecessary conflicts.
Nowadays, few people are doing that. Instead, they assume that their “humanism” is somehow automatic. They believe that they know the truth implicitly, without having to do any research.
Those individuals are arrogant enough to categorise their beliefs as “humanistic” even if they brazenly contradict all ancient Greek and Roman authors and twenty-five centuries of historical experience.
Montaigne’s approach to humanistic ideas
Humanism is something very different. It’s what Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) did in his essay “On the parsimony of the ancients.” He employed his erudition in ancient Greek and Roman history to identify the ideal lifestyle, that is, the habits more likely to lead to happiness.
Montaigne doesn’t care about parsimony (economy, thrift, modesty, penny-pinching, humility) as such. His exploration is going much further than human economic behaviour. The key goal of Montaigne is to identify virtue in general terms.
Like every worthy writer, Montaigne is looking for a recipe for success and happiness. He employs his knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman lifestyle in order to criticise his own contemporaries.
Montaigne praises the alleged parsimony of ancient times, so that he can reject the waste and excesses in his own century. His historical research (humanism in practice) prompts him to recommend simplicity, frugality and austerity. It also leads him to reject material excess as destructive.
According to Montaigne, ancient parsimony was dictated by philosophical principles, not by lack of resources. Seneca and Marcus Aurelius could have spent much more money than they did. They embraced moderation and self-restraint in order to prevent their own moral decay.
Montaigne’s essay “On the parsimony of the ancients”
Let us pass review to the historical examples employed by Montaigne in support of parsimony. First and foremost, he is mentioning the frugality of the ancient Spartans in the times of king Leonidas.
Spartan education emphasised simplicity and self-reliance, coupled to physical prowess. Individuals trained regularly and kept themselves in shape; they despised material excess, which they regarded as a form of weakness. As a result, Spartans did very well for centuries.
In his essay, Montaigne is also mentioning Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, a hero from the Roman Republic. In a period of extreme danger, Cincinnatus was appointed dictator. He left his farm and took command of the Roman army to conduct war.
After the war, Montaigne recounts, Cincinnatus resigned his commission, refused to take any payment, and returned to his farm. He went back to a simple, frugal, parsimonious lifestyle, without taking advantage of the situation.
Montaigne explains that Cincinnatus did the right thing in order to protect his own happiness and peace of mind. He was clever enough to foresee the results of unethical actions. If he had taken advantage of the situation to enrich himself, chances are that he would have ended up badly.
History in Montaigne and humanistic ideas
Cincinnatus’ parsimony does not mean saving money. The story recounted by Montaigne has nothing to do with frugality or penny-pinching. The term “parsimony” in this context refers to a modest, low-key lifestyle. That’s the key to happiness, the lifestyle pattern that Montaigne is defending.
Montaigne’s approach to humanism requires knowledge and logic. Gathering the relevant facts demands extensive research and alertness, but when done properly, it adds massive strength to the conclusions.
Humanism relies on deep research and vast erudition. When Montaigne was writing his essays, in the sixteenth century, his tools were limited to ink, feather, paper, and his own library. I am talking about dozens of books, not thousands.
Essays such as “On the parsimony of the ancients” provide us the outcome of Montaigne’s efforts. His essays constitute a magnificent combination of scholarship, philosophy, personal development, and curiosity.
Montaigne understood perfectly that humanistic ideas must be prescriptive, not empty abstractions. After devoting hours to researching parsimony in ancient Rome and Greece, he did not stop there. He did not just state facts about the ancient lifestyle and mentality.
The conclusions reached by Montaigne in his essays have universal application. Readers in the sixteenth century found those conclusions interesting, and so do readers nowadays. We get paid with tangible wisdom for the effort of reading essays composed by Montaigne.
Virtue in Montaigne and humanistic ideas
Montaigne tells about ancient Greeks and Romans that they considered it virtuous to lead a modest lifestyle. Note that he was referring to wealthy, aristocratic Romans such as Seneca and Marcus Aurelius.
Those individuals could afford a lavish lifestyle, but they chose to refrain from extravagant expenditures. Montaigne is giving us examples taken from Plutarch. For instance, when he tells us that “the ancient Romans were contented with eating lentils and bread.”
Humanistic ideas are not about harmonious buildings, well-aligned streets, and mythological paintings. They are not about grandiloquent abstractions, calling for a perfect world in which justice and prosperity are accessible to all.
On the contrary, Montaigne showed us that humanistic ideas are about lifestyle prescriptions. They embody recipes that we can implement here and now.
We should pay attention to every little detail in Montaigne’s argument because they all fit into the big picture. “The ancient Romans normally wore a simple attire,” explained Montaigne, and sometimes “wore the same clothes in winter and summer.”
Humanistic ideas are telling us how to life today in order to maximise success and happiness. Montaigne told us that the ancient Romans were frugal in their choice of food, clothing, and everything else. The lesson should not be forgotten.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice day after day, I recommend you my book “Thriving in difficult times.”