Summary
Montaigne explores a disturbing paradox: the cruelest people are often the most cowardly at heart. He argues that cowardice breeds cruelty because fearful people, unable to face real danger with honor, compensate by being vicious toward the helpless. Alexander the tyrant could weep at tragic plays but murdered citizens daily—his tears revealed not compassion but weakness. True courage shows restraint; it defeats enemies without destroying them, seeking to prove a point rather than eliminate a threat. Cowards, however, kill quickly because they fear their victims might recover and retaliate. Montaigne examines how this dynamic plays out in dueling culture, where multiple seconds now join fights that were once individual contests of honor. He shares the story of his brother, caught in such a multi-person duel in Italy, to illustrate how fear corrupts even codes of honor. The essay culminates with horrific historical examples of tyrants like Philip of Macedon, whose paranoia led to mass slaughter, and the tragic story of Theoxena, who killed her own children rather than let them fall into cruel hands. Montaigne's central insight is that excessive punishment and cruelty stem not from strength but from deep insecurity—those who torture are usually those most afraid of being hurt themselves.
Coming Up in Chapter 84
After examining how fear corrupts our actions, Montaigne turns to the rhythm of life itself. In 'All Things Have Their Season,' he explores how wisdom lies in understanding when to act and when to wait—a crucial skill for navigating life's natural cycles.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
COWARDICE THE MOTHER OF CRUELTY I have often heard it said that cowardice is the mother of cruelty; and I have found by experience that malicious and inhuman animosity and fierceness are usually accompanied with feminine weakness. I have seen the most cruel people, and upon frivolous occasions, apt to cry. Alexander, the tyrant of Pheres, durst not be a spectator of tragedies in the theatre, for fear lest his citizens should see him weep at the misfortunes of Hecuba and Andromache, who himself without pity caused so many people every day to be murdered. Is it not meanness of spirit that renders them so pliable to all extremities? Valour, whose effect is only to be exercised against resistance-- “Nec nisi bellantis gaudet cervice juvenci”-- [“Nor delights in killing a bull unless he resists.” --Claudius, Ep. ad Hadrianum, v. 39.] stops when it sees the enemy at its mercy; but pusillanimity, to say that it was also in the game, not having dared to meddle in the first act of danger, takes as its part the second, of blood and massacre. The murders in victories are commonly performed by the rascality and hangers-on of an army, and that which causes so many unheard of cruelties in domestic wars is, that this canaille makes war in imbruing itself up to the elbows in blood, and ripping up a body that lies prostrate at its feet, having no sense of any other valour: “Et lupus, et turpes instant morientibus ursi, Et quaecunque minor nobilitate fera est:” [“Wolves and the filthy bears, and all the baser beasts, fall upon the dying.”--Ovid, Trist., iii. 5, 35.] like cowardly dogs, that in the house worry and tear the skins of wild beasts, they durst not come near in the field. What is it in these times of ours that makes our quarrels mortal; and that, whereas our fathers had some degrees of revenge, we now begin with the last in ours, and at the first meeting nothing is to be said but, kill? What is this but cowardice? Every one is sensible that there is more bravery and disdain in subduing an enemy, than in cutting, his throat; and in making him yield, than in putting him to the sword: besides that the appetite of revenge is better satisfied and pleased because its only aim is to make itself felt: And this is the reason why we do not fall upon a beast or a stone when they hurt us, because they are not capable of being sensible of our revenge; and to kill a man is to save him from the injury and offence we intend him. And as Bias cried out to a wicked fellow, “I know that sooner or later thou wilt have thy reward, but I am afraid I shall not see it”; --[Plutarch, on the Delay in Divine Justice, c. 2.]--and pitied the Orchomenians that the penitence of Lyciscus for the treason committed against them, came at a season when...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Fear-Driven Cruelty
Cowardly people compensate for their fear by being cruel to those who cannot retaliate.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to spot the difference between real authority and compensatory aggression—crucial for navigating workplace hierarchies.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone is unusually harsh with people below them but deferential to those above—you're probably seeing fear, not strength.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Pusillanimity
A fancy word for cowardice or being small-spirited. Montaigne uses it to describe people who lack courage in dangerous situations but become cruel when they have power over the helpless.
Modern Usage:
We see this in bullies who pick on weaker people but cower when confronted by someone their own size.
Tyrant of Pheres
Alexander was a Greek ruler known for extreme cruelty who could weep at sad plays while ordering real murders daily. Montaigne uses him to show how cruel people often have tender feelings they can't control.
Modern Usage:
Like abusive partners who cry during movies but terrorize their families at home.
Rascality and hangers-on
The lowest-ranking soldiers and camp followers who commit the worst atrocities after battles. They weren't brave enough to fight but savage enough to kill the wounded and defenseless.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how online trolls attack people who are already down, or how some people pile onto public shamings.
Domestic wars
Civil wars fought within the same country or community. Montaigne notes these are especially brutal because neighbors turn against neighbors with personal vendettas.
Modern Usage:
We see this pattern in workplace conflicts, family feuds, or community disputes that turn vicious because they're personal.
Seconds in dueling
Originally, each duelist brought one helper to ensure fair play. By Montaigne's time, multiple people joined the fight, turning honor duels into group brawls driven by fear.
Modern Usage:
Like how arguments on social media escalate when friends jump in to defend each side, making conflicts worse.
Theoxena's choice
A mother who killed her own children rather than let them be tortured by enemies. Montaigne presents this as an extreme example of how fear of cruelty can drive people to desperate acts.
Modern Usage:
We see this in parents who make extreme sacrifices to protect their children from perceived threats, even when the cure might be worse than the disease.
Characters in This Chapter
Alexander, tyrant of Pheres
Primary example of cruel coward
This Greek ruler would weep at tragic plays but order daily executions without remorse. His tears at fiction while committing real atrocities perfectly illustrates Montaigne's point about cowardice breeding cruelty.
Modern Equivalent:
The abusive boss who tears up at charity commercials but destroys employees' lives
Montaigne's brother
Victim of corrupted honor code
Got caught in a multi-person duel in Italy where what should have been a fair fight between two men became a chaotic brawl because everyone was too afraid to fight one-on-one.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who gets jumped by a group because nobody wants to fight fair anymore
Philip of Macedon
Historical example of paranoid tyrant
His extreme cruelty stemmed from fear of being overthrown. The more afraid he became, the more people he killed, proving Montaigne's point about cowardice driving brutality.
Modern Equivalent:
The insecure manager who fires anyone they see as a threat
Theoxena
Tragic mother figure
Killed her own children to spare them from falling into cruel hands. Represents the ultimate example of how fear of others' cruelty can drive us to terrible extremes.
Modern Equivalent:
The overprotective parent whose fear of the world ends up harming their children
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Cowardice is the mother of cruelty"
Context: Opening statement of his entire argument about the relationship between fear and brutality
This is Montaigne's central thesis - that the cruelest people are actually the most afraid. They compensate for their cowardice by being vicious to those who can't fight back, making themselves feel powerful.
In Today's Words:
The meanest people are usually the biggest cowards inside
"Valour stops when it sees the enemy at its mercy"
Context: Explaining how true courage behaves differently than cowardice when facing a defeated opponent
Real bravery doesn't need to destroy a beaten enemy because it's already proven its point. Only cowards keep attacking when there's no more resistance because they're afraid their victim might recover.
In Today's Words:
Truly strong people don't kick you when you're down
"This canaille makes war in imbruing itself up to the elbows in blood"
Context: Describing how the lowest soldiers commit the worst atrocities after battles
The people who do the most savage killing are those who were too cowardly to face real danger. They make up for their cowardice by being extra brutal to helpless victims.
In Today's Words:
The people who weren't brave enough to fight fair are the ones who go overboard hurting defenseless people
Thematic Threads
Power Dynamics
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how tyrants and bullies use cruelty to mask their fundamental weakness and fear
Development
Builds on earlier observations about authority and social hierarchies
In Your Life:
You might see this when supervisors who feel insecure about their position become unnecessarily harsh with employees.
Fear
In This Chapter
Fear is revealed as the driving force behind excessive punishment and violence toward the helpless
Development
Expands previous discussions of courage to examine its opposite
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you feel the urge to be harsh with someone after feeling threatened yourself.
Identity
In This Chapter
People construct false identities of strength through cruelty when they feel weak inside
Development
Continues exploration of how people present themselves versus who they really are
In Your Life:
You might see this when someone acts tough or mean to hide their own vulnerability and insecurity.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Dueling culture shows how social codes of honor can be corrupted by fear and cowardice
Development
Examines how social rituals meant to demonstrate courage can become twisted
In Your Life:
You might notice this when workplace or social 'traditions' become excuses for cruel behavior.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
According to Montaigne, what's the connection between cowardice and cruelty? Why do the most vicious people tend to be the most fearful?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne say that cowards kill quickly while brave people show restraint? What are cowards afraid will happen if they don't act brutally?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about workplace bullies, road rage, or online trolls. Where do you see this pattern of 'cruel because cowardly' playing out in modern life?
application • medium - 4
When you feel the urge to be harsh with someone who can't fight back, what's usually driving that feeling? How could recognizing this pattern change your response?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter teach us about the difference between real strength and the appearance of strength? How can you tell the difference?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Fear Behind the Cruelty
Think of someone you've encountered who was unnecessarily cruel or harsh—a boss, teacher, family member, or public figure. Write down their cruel behavior, then dig deeper: What might they have been afraid of? What threat or insecurity could have been driving their need to dominate others? Map the connection between their fear and their cruelty.
Consider:
- •Look for patterns: Do they target people who can't fight back while avoiding real challenges?
- •Consider what they might lose if they appeared weak or vulnerable
- •Think about whether their cruelty actually solved their underlying problem or just created new ones
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you felt powerless and took it out on someone else. What were you really afraid of? How did it feel afterward, and what would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 84: All Things Have Their Season
Moving forward, we'll examine timing matters more than effort in life decisions, and understand to recognize when it's time to shift from learning to living. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.