An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 908 words)
THAT A MAN IS SOBERLY TO JUDGE OF THE DIVINE ORDINANCES
The true field and subject of imposture are things unknown, forasmuch as,
in the first place, their very strangeness lends them credit, and
moreover, by not being subjected to our ordinary reasons, they deprive us
of the means to question and dispute them: For which reason, says Plato,
--[In Critias.]--it is much more easy to satisfy the hearers, when
speaking of the nature of the gods than of the nature of men, because the
ignorance of the auditory affords a fair and large career and all manner
of liberty in the handling of abstruse things. Thence it comes to pass,
that nothing is so firmly believed, as what we least know; nor any people
so confident, as those who entertain us with fables, such as your
alchemists, judicial astrologers, fortune-tellers, and physicians,
“Id genus omne.”
[“All that sort of people.”--Horace, Sat., i. 2, 2.]
To which I would willingly, if I durst, join a pack of people that take
upon them to interpret and control the designs of God Himself, pretending
to find out the cause of every accident, and to pry into the secrets of
the divine will, there to discover the incomprehensible motive, of His
works; and although the variety, and the continual discordance of events,
throw them from corner to corner, and toss them from east to west, yet do
they still persist in their vain inquisition, and with the same pencil to
paint black and white.
In a nation of the Indies, there is this commendable custom, that when
anything befalls them amiss in any encounter or battle, they publicly ask
pardon of the sun, who is their god, as having committed an unjust
action, always imputing their good or evil fortune to the divine justice,
and to that submitting their own judgment and reason. ‘Tis enough for a
Christian to believe that all things come from God, to receive them with
acknowledgment of His divine and inscrutable wisdom, and also thankfully
to accept and receive them, with what face soever they may present
themselves. But I do not approve of what I see in use, that is, to seek
to affirm and support our religion by the prosperity of our enterprises.
Our belief has other foundation enough, without going about to authorise
it by events: for the people being accustomed to such plausible arguments
as these and so proper to their taste, it is to be feared, lest when they
fail of success they should also stagger in their faith: as in the war
wherein we are now engaged upon the account of religion, those who had
the better in the business of Rochelabeille,--[May 1569.]--making great
brags of that success as an infallible approbation of their cause, when
they came afterwards to excuse their misfortunes of Moncontour and
Jarnac, by saying they were fatherly scourges and corrections that they
had not a people wholly at their mercy, they make it manifestly enough
appear, what it is to take two sorts of grist out of the same sack, and
with the same mouth to blow hot and cold. It were better to possess the
vulgar with the solid and real foundations of truth. ‘Twas a fine naval
battle that was gained under the command of Don John of Austria a few
months since--[That of Lepanto, October 7, 1571.]--against the Turks;
but it has also pleased God at other times to let us see as great
victories at our own expense. In fine, ‘tis a hard matter to reduce
divine things to our balance, without waste and losing a great deal of
the weight. And who would take upon him to give a reason that Arius and
his Pope Leo, the principal heads of the Arian heresy, should die, at
several times, of so like and strange deaths (for being withdrawn from
the disputation by a griping in the bowels, they both of them suddenly
gave up the ghost upon the stool), and would aggravate this divine
vengeance by the circumstances of the place, might as well add the death
of Heliogabalus, who was also slain in a house of office. And, indeed,
Irenaeus was involved in the same fortune. God, being pleased to show
us, that the good have something else to hope for and the wicked
something else to fear, than the fortunes or misfortunes of this world,
manages and applies these according to His own occult will and pleasure,
and deprives us of the means foolishly to make thereof our own profit.
And those people abuse themselves who will pretend to dive into these
mysteries by the strength of human reason. They never give one hit that
they do not receive two for it; of which St. Augustine makes out a great
proof upon his adversaries. ‘Tis a conflict that is more decided by
strength of memory than by the force of reason. We are to content
ourselves with the light it pleases the sun to communicate to us, by
virtue of his rays; and who will lift up his eyes to take in a greater,
let him not think it strange, if for the reward of his presumption, he
there lose his sight.
“Quis hominum potest scire consilium Dei?
Aut quis poterit cogitare quid velit Dominus?”
[“Who of men can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the
will of the Lord is.”--Book of Wisdom, ix. 13.]
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The less someone actually knows about a situation, the more confident they become in their explanations for why it happened.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone's confidence about complex situations is inversely related to their actual knowledge.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when the person speaking most confidently about a situation has the least direct experience with it, then seek out those who admit 'I don't know' or 'It's complicated.'
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"nothing is so firmly believed, as what we least know"
Context: Explaining why people are most confident about mysterious topics
This captures human psychology perfectly - we're most certain about things we can't verify. It's Montaigne's key insight about how ignorance breeds false confidence.
In Today's Words:
The less we actually understand something, the more sure we are that we've got it figured out.
"the ignorance of the auditory affords a fair and large career and all manner of liberty"
Context: Explaining why religious topics are perfect for con artists
When your audience can't fact-check you, you can say anything. This reveals how spiritual authority often depends on keeping people in the dark.
In Today's Words:
If your audience doesn't know the subject, you can make up whatever sounds good.
"they still persist in their vain inquisition, and with the same pencil to paint black and white"
Context: Describing how religious interpreters flip their explanations based on outcomes
Even when constantly proven wrong, these interpreters keep going, using the same methods to reach opposite conclusions. It shows how ideology trumps evidence.
In Today's Words:
They keep using the same broken logic to explain completely different results, painting everything to fit their story.
Thematic Threads
Intellectual Humility
In This Chapter
Montaigne advocates for accepting uncertainty rather than creating false explanations for complex events
Development
Introduced here as core philosophy
In Your Life:
You might notice this when you catch yourself making up reasons for why things happened instead of admitting you don't know
Religious Authority
In This Chapter
Religious leaders flip explanations based on outcomes, claiming victories prove divine favor while defeats are divine tests
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You see this when authority figures change their explanations to match results rather than admitting they were wrong
Social Performance
In This Chapter
People perform certainty and cosmic understanding to appear wise and maintain social status
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you feel pressure to have explanations for things you don't actually understand
Narrative Construction
In This Chapter
Humans create elaborate stories to explain random events, especially when invoking fate or divine will
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You see this when you or others construct meaning from coincidences or try to find lessons in random bad luck
Cultural Wisdom
In This Chapter
Montaigne praises cultures that simply apologize to gods for failures rather than claiming to understand divine will
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might apply this by saying 'I was wrong' or 'I don't know' instead of creating elaborate justifications for mistakes
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Montaigne say people become more confident in their explanations when they understand less about a situation?
analysis • surface - 2
What's the difference between how religious leaders explain victories versus defeats, and why does this pattern bother Montaigne?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this 'false certainty' pattern in your daily life - at work, in family discussions, or on social media?
application • medium - 4
When facing a difficult situation you don't understand, how could you respond without creating elaborate explanations or invoking fate?
application • deep - 5
What does Montaigne's preference for the Indians who simply apologize to their sun god reveal about healthy ways to handle uncertainty?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Explanation Patterns
Think of a recent difficult situation in your life - a relationship conflict, work problem, or family issue. Write down the explanations you gave yourself or others about why it happened. Now identify which explanations are based on things you actually know versus theories you constructed to feel more in control. Circle the theories and consider what 'I don't know, but here's what I can control' would look like instead.
Consider:
- •Notice if your confidence level matches your actual knowledge of the situation
- •Pay attention to whether you're invoking fate, karma, or 'everything happens for a reason' to avoid uncertainty
- •Consider whether your explanations help you take useful action or just make you feel better
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone gave you very confident advice about a situation they had never experienced themselves. How did their certainty affect your decision-making, and what would have been more helpful?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 32: When Death Becomes the Ultimate Exit Strategy
From the dangers of claiming divine knowledge, Montaigne turns to an equally thorny question: when is it worth sacrificing pleasure, comfort, or even life itself for our principles? The next essay explores the complex relationship between what we want and what we believe we should want.
