Summary
Montaigne explores a troubling but persistent reality: sometimes societies must use morally questionable methods to achieve necessary goals. He compares nations to human bodies that need periodic 'bloodletting' to stay healthy. Just as doctors sometimes purge even healthy patients to prevent dangerous imbalances, countries often need to release internal pressures before they explode. He gives historical examples of this principle in action. Ancient Rome deliberately maintained foreign wars partly to give their restless young men an outlet for violence, preventing civil unrest at home. Medieval kings would send troublesome nobles on foreign campaigns to clear out potential rebels. Even today, Montaigne notes, leaders consider redirecting internal conflicts toward external enemies. He examines other morally complex examples: Sparta forced slaves to get drunk so citizens would see the ugliness of excess and avoid it themselves. Roman gladiator games, while brutal, taught citizens courage and acceptance of death. These practices worked—they achieved their intended social benefits—but at terrible moral cost. Montaigne doesn't endorse these methods, but he acknowledges a harsh truth: sometimes the choice isn't between good and evil, but between different kinds of harm. The weakness of human nature often forces leaders into impossible positions where any action causes suffering. This essay forces readers to grapple with uncomfortable questions about leadership, sacrifice, and the gap between moral ideals and practical necessity.
Coming Up in Chapter 80
From the moral complexities of leadership, Montaigne turns to examine what made Rome truly great—and what lessons their rise and fall hold for understanding power in any age.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
F ILL MEANS EMPLOYED TO A GOOD END There is wonderful relation and correspondence in this universal government of the works of nature, which very well makes it appear that it is neither accidental nor carried on by divers masters. The diseases and conditions of our bodies are, in like manner, manifest in states and governments; kingdoms and republics are founded, flourish, and decay with age as we do. We are subject to a repletion of humours, useless and dangerous: whether of those that are good (for even those the physicians are afraid of; and seeing we have nothing in us that is stable, they say that a too brisk and vigorous perfection of health must be abated by art, lest our nature, unable to rest in any certain condition, and not having whither to rise to mend itself, make too sudden and too disorderly a retreat; and therefore prescribe wrestlers to purge and bleed, to qualify that superabundant health), or else a repletion of evil humours, which is the ordinary cause of sickness. States are very often sick of the like repletion, and various sorts of purgations have commonly been applied. Some times a great multitude of families are turned out to clear the country, who seek out new abodes elsewhere and encroach upon others. After this manner our ancient Franks came from the remotest part of Germany to seize upon Gaul, and to drive thence the first inhabitants; so was that infinite deluge of men made up who came into Italy under the conduct of Brennus and others; so the Goths and Vandals, and also the people who now possess Greece, left their native country to go settle elsewhere, where they might have more room; and there are scarce two or three little corners in the world that have not felt the effect of such removals. The Romans by this means erected their colonies; for, perceiving their city to grow immeasurably populous, they eased it of the most unnecessary people, and sent them to inhabit and cultivate the lands conquered by them; sometimes also they purposely maintained wars with some of their enemies, not only to keep their own men in action, for fear lest idleness, the mother of corruption, should bring upon them some worse inconvenience: “Et patimur longae pacis mala; saevior armis Luxuria incumbit.” [“And we suffer the ills of a long peace; luxury is more pernicious than war.”--Juvenal, vi. 291.] but also to serve for a blood-letting to their Republic, and a little to evaporate the too vehement heat of their youth, to prune and clear the branches from the stock too luxuriant in wood; and to this end it was that they maintained so long a war with Carthage. In the treaty of Bretigny, Edward III., king of England, would not, in the general peace he then made with our king, comprehend the controversy about the Duchy of Brittany, that he might have a place wherein to discharge himself of his soldiers, and that...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Necessary Compromises
When all available choices cause harm, leaders must select the option that minimizes total damage rather than preserving moral purity.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to evaluate whether difficult decisions stem from genuine impossible circumstances or from leaders avoiding harder but cleaner solutions.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone justifies harmful actions as 'necessary'—ask yourself: what other options did they really have, and what explosion are they claiming to prevent?
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Repletion of humours
In Montaigne's time, people believed the body contained four fluids (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile) that needed balance. Too much of any fluid, even good ones, could make you sick and require 'purging' or bloodletting. Montaigne uses this medical theory as a metaphor for how societies work.
Modern Usage:
We still talk about 'toxic work environments' needing a 'purge' or countries needing to 'drain the swamp' of corruption.
Bloodletting
An old medical practice where doctors would cut patients or use leeches to remove blood, believing this would cure illness or prevent future problems. Even healthy people were sometimes bled to maintain balance. Montaigne compares this to how societies sometimes need to remove people or problems.
Modern Usage:
We use 'bloodletting' to describe any harsh but supposedly necessary action, like mass layoffs or political purges.
Moral pragmatism
The philosophy that sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil rather than the perfect good. Montaigne explores how leaders often face situations where every option causes harm, so they must pick the least damaging one. It's about results over principles when survival is at stake.
Modern Usage:
Politicians constantly face this - like choosing between raising taxes or cutting services, both of which hurt people.
Scapegoating mechanism
The practice of redirecting internal anger or problems toward an external target to preserve unity within a group. Montaigne describes how societies channel their internal conflicts outward to avoid civil war or social collapse.
Modern Usage:
Countries still blame foreign enemies for domestic problems, or companies blame market conditions for their own failures.
Necessary evil
An action that is morally wrong but practically required to prevent greater harm. Montaigne examines historical examples where leaders chose terrible methods because the alternatives were worse. The 'necessity' doesn't make it good, just unavoidable.
Modern Usage:
We debate necessary evils constantly - like whether harsh prison sentences deter crime or whether military intervention prevents greater suffering.
Social pressure valve
A mechanism that allows dangerous tensions in society to be released safely before they explode. Just like a pressure cooker needs a valve to prevent explosion, societies need ways to let people vent frustration without destroying the system.
Modern Usage:
Sports, protests, social media, and even reality TV serve as pressure valves for modern frustrations.
Characters in This Chapter
Ancient Franks
Historical example
Montaigne uses them as an example of mass migration that solved overpopulation problems in their homeland by displacing other peoples. They represent how societies sometimes export their problems rather than solve them internally.
Modern Equivalent:
Economic migrants who leave struggling regions for better opportunities elsewhere
Roman leaders
Pragmatic rulers
Montaigne describes how Roman authorities deliberately maintained foreign wars and brutal gladiator games to channel citizen aggression outward and teach acceptance of death. They chose harsh methods that worked rather than gentle ones that failed.
Modern Equivalent:
Politicians who support controversial policies because they know the alternatives are worse
Spartan authorities
Social engineers
They forced slaves to get drunk publicly so citizens would see the ugliness of excess and avoid it themselves. This represents using others' suffering as a teaching tool for the greater good.
Modern Equivalent:
Parents who point out other people's failures as cautionary tales for their children
Medieval physicians
Well-intentioned experts
They practiced bloodletting on healthy patients, believing they were preventing future illness. Montaigne uses them to show how even experts with good intentions can cause harm while trying to help.
Modern Equivalent:
Specialists who recommend extreme preventive measures that may do more harm than good
Key Quotes & Analysis
"We have nothing in us that is stable, and seeing that a too brisk and vigorous perfection of health must be abated by art"
Context: Explaining why doctors would bleed even healthy patients
This reveals Montaigne's belief that nothing in life stays balanced naturally - even good things can become dangerous if left unchecked. It sets up his argument that societies, like bodies, need artificial interventions to maintain stability.
In Today's Words:
Nothing stays perfect forever, so sometimes you have to mess with things that are working fine to prevent bigger problems later.
"Various sorts of purgations have commonly been applied to states very often sick of the like repletion"
Context: Comparing political solutions to medical treatments
Montaigne directly links political and medical 'cures,' suggesting that harsh measures in government aren't necessarily evil - they might be medicine. This challenges readers to think about whether tough policies are cruelty or healing.
In Today's Words:
Countries get sick just like people do, and sometimes they need harsh medicine to get better.
"The weakness of human nature often forces leaders into impossible positions where any action causes suffering"
Context: Reflecting on the moral dilemmas leaders face
This quote captures the essay's central tragedy - that leadership often means choosing between different kinds of harm rather than between good and evil. Montaigne shows sympathy for those who must make terrible decisions.
In Today's Words:
Sometimes there are no good choices, only less bad ones, and somebody has to pick.
Thematic Threads
Leadership
In This Chapter
Montaigne examines how leaders must sometimes choose harmful methods to prevent worse outcomes, like redirecting internal conflicts toward external enemies
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might face this when managing a team where every decision disappoints someone, forcing you to choose the least damaging option.
Moral Complexity
In This Chapter
The essay grapples with practices that work effectively but violate moral ideals, like using brutal gladiator games to teach citizens courage
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You encounter this when workplace policies you disagree with actually prevent bigger problems from occurring.
Social Control
In This Chapter
Montaigne describes how societies use morally questionable methods like forced intoxication of slaves to teach citizens by negative example
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You see this when institutions use fear tactics or uncomfortable truths to modify behavior for the greater good.
Human Nature
In This Chapter
The essay acknowledges that human weakness often forces leaders into impossible positions where any action causes suffering
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You experience this when family dynamics force you to choose between enabling someone or causing immediate pain through tough love.
Practical Necessity
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how effective governance sometimes requires choosing between different kinds of harm rather than pursuing ideal solutions
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You face this when budget constraints force you to prioritize some family needs while sacrificing others.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
According to Montaigne, why did ancient Rome deliberately maintain foreign wars instead of focusing on peace at home?
analysis • surface - 2
What does Montaigne mean when he compares nations to human bodies that need 'bloodletting' to stay healthy?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see leaders today choosing harmful methods to prevent worse outcomes? Think about your workplace, community, or family.
application • medium - 4
When facing an impossible choice between different kinds of harm, how would you decide which option causes less total damage?
application • deep - 5
What does this essay reveal about the gap between moral ideals and practical leadership? Can someone be both ethical and effective?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Impossible Choice
Think of a difficult decision you're facing or have faced where all options seem to cause some kind of harm. Draw three columns: Option A consequences, Option B consequences, Do Nothing consequences. List both immediate and long-term effects for each choice. Then identify which option minimizes total damage, not just the damage you can see clearly.
Consider:
- •Consider hidden costs of inaction - what problems grow worse if left alone?
- •Distinguish between harm you cause directly versus harm you allow to continue
- •Ask who benefits from keeping the current situation unchanged
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to choose between bad options. What helped you decide? Looking back, do you think you minimized total harm, or just avoided the harm that felt most uncomfortable to you personally?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 80: The True Scale of Power
From the moral complexities of leadership, Montaigne turns to examine what made Rome truly great—and what lessons their rise and fall hold for understanding power in any age.
