Summary
Montaigne takes on one of humanity's most complex topics: sexual desire and physical love. Using Virgil's poetry as his starting point, he explores how we think about lust, relationships, and the body with refreshing honesty. Rather than moralizing or philosophizing abstractly, Montaigne admits his own experiences and contradictions. He argues that denying our physical nature creates more problems than accepting it. He discusses how age changes desire, how marriage differs from passion, and why society's rules around sexuality often conflict with human reality. Throughout, he maintains that honest self-examination—even about uncomfortable topics—leads to wisdom. Montaigne doesn't offer easy answers about right and wrong, but instead models how to think through complex issues without judgment. He shows how great literature gives us language for experiences we might struggle to understand or express. This chapter matters because it demonstrates intellectual courage: the willingness to examine difficult topics honestly rather than hiding behind social conventions. For modern readers, Montaigne's approach offers a framework for thinking about desire, relationships, and authenticity. His method—using literature as a mirror for self-reflection—remains powerful today. He proves that philosophy doesn't have to be abstract; it can engage with the messiest, most human parts of life.
Coming Up in Chapter 99
Montaigne turns to weightier matters, exploring how our minds handle serious subjects like death, disease, and hardship. He'll reveal why constantly dwelling on heavy topics can overwhelm us, and share his strategies for mental balance.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 5 words)
UPON SOME VERSES OF VIRGIL
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Honest Reckoning
Authentic self-knowledge requires examining the parts of ourselves we'd rather deny or hide.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when we're lying to ourselves about our motivations, creating internal pressure that damages relationships and decision-making.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel defensive about your motives—that's often the signal that you're not being honest with yourself about what you actually want or feel.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Stoicism
A philosophy that emphasized controlling emotions and accepting what you cannot change. Montaigne often pushes back against this approach, especially when it comes to denying natural human desires. He argues that trying to suppress all passion creates more problems than it solves.
Modern Usage:
We see this in people who try to 'logic away' their feelings or shame themselves for having normal human desires.
Platonic love
The idea that 'pure' spiritual love is superior to physical attraction. This concept dominated medieval and Renaissance thinking about relationships. Montaigne questions whether this separation of body and soul is realistic or even healthy.
Modern Usage:
Shows up when people claim they're 'above' physical attraction or that real love shouldn't involve sexual desire.
Temperance
Moderation in all things, especially physical pleasures. Renaissance morality heavily emphasized controlling bodily desires. Montaigne argues that complete temperance often leads to hypocrisy and self-deception rather than virtue.
Modern Usage:
Similar to modern diet culture or 'wellness' movements that demonize normal human appetites and desires.
Classical poetry
Ancient Greek and Roman literature that Renaissance writers used as models for discussing human experience. Montaigne uses Virgil's frank descriptions of desire to justify his own honest approach to sexuality.
Modern Usage:
Like how we reference movies, songs, or books to explain feelings we can't put into words ourselves.
Conjugal duty
The Renaissance belief that marriage was primarily about social obligation and reproduction, not passion or personal fulfillment. Montaigne suggests this creates unrealistic expectations and marital problems.
Modern Usage:
Echoes in modern debates about whether marriage should be about love, practical partnership, or social expectations.
Natural philosophy
The Renaissance approach to understanding human nature through observation rather than religious doctrine. Montaigne applies this method to sexuality, arguing we should study what people actually do rather than what they should do.
Modern Usage:
Similar to modern psychology's emphasis on understanding human behavior without immediately judging it as right or wrong.
Characters in This Chapter
Montaigne
Philosophical narrator
Shares his own experiences with desire and aging while using Virgil's poetry to explore sexuality honestly. He admits his contradictions and changes over time rather than presenting himself as morally superior.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who's willing to have real talk about relationships without judgment
Virgil
Literary authority
The ancient Roman poet whose frank descriptions of sexual desire give Montaigne permission to discuss these topics openly. Represents how great literature can validate our most human experiences.
Modern Equivalent:
The respected author whose work makes you feel less alone in your struggles
Key Quotes & Analysis
"We are great fools. 'He has spent his life in idleness,' we say; 'I have done nothing today.' What, have you not lived?"
Context: Defending the value of pleasure and physical experience against those who see them as wasteful
Montaigne argues that experiencing life fully—including its physical pleasures—is not time wasted but the very point of being human. He challenges the idea that only 'productive' activities have value.
In Today's Words:
Stop feeling guilty for enjoying yourself—living and feeling is the whole point.
"The most manifest sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness."
Context: Arguing that accepting our nature, including sexual desire, leads to greater happiness than fighting it
This suggests that wisdom comes from self-acceptance rather than self-denial. Montaigne believes that people who make peace with their humanity are happier and more genuine.
In Today's Words:
The wisest people are usually the happiest because they've stopped fighting themselves.
"I speak the truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little more as I grow older."
Context: Explaining why he's willing to discuss sexuality so openly despite social taboos
Montaigne reveals that honesty requires courage, and that age has given him the freedom to care less about social approval. He models intellectual bravery for his readers.
In Today's Words:
I'm getting too old to care what people think, so I might as well tell the truth.
"Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out."
Context: Discussing the gap between romantic ideals and marital reality
Montaigne captures how we idealize what we don't have while struggling with what we do. He suggests that both single and married people often want what the other has.
In Today's Words:
Single people think marriage will solve everything, married people miss being single—nobody's satisfied.
Thematic Threads
Authenticity
In This Chapter
Montaigne refuses to sanitize his discussion of desire and contradictions, modeling radical honesty about human nature
Development
Building on earlier themes of self-examination, now applied to society's most uncomfortable topics
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you catch yourself giving socially acceptable reasons for decisions driven by deeper, messier motivations
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
He challenges society's rules around sexuality that conflict with human reality, showing how conventions can create unnecessary suffering
Development
Continues his pattern of questioning social norms through personal experience rather than abstract reasoning
In Your Life:
You see this when you feel pressure to hide natural feelings or needs because they don't fit what's considered 'appropriate'
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Explores how age changes desire and how marriage differs from passion, acknowledging relationship complexity without judgment
Development
Deepens earlier relationship themes by examining physical and emotional needs honestly
In Your Life:
This appears when you notice the gap between how relationships 'should' work and how they actually function in real life
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Shows that wisdom comes from examining difficult topics honestly rather than hiding behind social conventions
Development
Reinforces that growth requires courage to face uncomfortable truths about ourselves
In Your Life:
You experience this when you realize that avoiding difficult self-examination keeps you stuck in patterns that no longer serve you
Identity
In This Chapter
Demonstrates how our physical nature is part of our complete identity, not something to be denied or transcended
Development
Expands identity theme to include aspects of self that society often wants us to compartmentalize or hide
In Your Life:
This shows up when you feel like you have to be different versions of yourself in different contexts rather than integrating your full humanity
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Montaigne mean when he says that denying our physical nature creates more problems than accepting it?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne choose to admit his own contradictions and experiences rather than just discussing sexuality in abstract terms?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today struggling because they won't acknowledge their real motivations or desires?
application • medium - 4
How might honest self-examination about uncomfortable topics actually give someone more control over their choices?
application • deep - 5
What does Montaigne's approach teach us about the difference between acknowledging something and being controlled by it?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Honest Inventory
Think of a recent time when you reacted strongly to something - anger, jealousy, disappointment, or excitement. Write down what you told yourself (or others) was the reason for your reaction. Then dig deeper: what might have been the real, less socially acceptable reason? Practice Montaigne's method of honest examination without judgment.
Consider:
- •Focus on understanding your reaction, not justifying or condemning it
- •Look for the gap between your public explanation and your private truth
- •Consider how acknowledging the real reason might change how you handle similar situations
Journaling Prompt
Write about a pattern you've noticed in your own reactions. What do you typically tell yourself versus what might actually be driving your responses? How could honest acknowledgment help you navigate this pattern more consciously?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 99: Aging, Pleasure, and the Art of Living Authentically
Moving forward, we'll examine to balance wisdom and pleasure as you age without becoming bitter or rigid, and understand authentic self-expression matters more than social approval or propriety. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.