Democritus and Heraclitus: Montaigne and humanistic ideas

When Renaissance authors undertook the study of antiquity, they had a practical purpose in mind. They expected to learn something useful from ancient history. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) constitutes the very best example. He read relentlessly about the lifestyle of ancient Romans and Greeks with the goal of drawing useful lessons. In his philosophical research, Montaigne adopted the same hands-on approach. Even when he researched metaphysics and epistemology, he was still looking for a recipe for happiness. Take for instance Montaigne’s essay about the early Greek thinkers Democritus and Heraclitus. When reading the essay’s title (“On Democritus and Heraclitus”) one might be expecting a boring disquisition about the nature of reality, but that’s not how Montaigne understood humanism. Humanistic ideas, as understood by Montaigne, must be first and foremost practical. The purpose of studying Plato, Democritus, Heraclitus, and Aristotle is to learn how to lead a happy life here and now. Montaigne describes Democritus (around 500 BC) as a man who regarded the universe as rational and predictable. He put forward the theory that objects and creatures are made of small particles (“atoms”), in various configurations. Democritus was happy and cheerful. His sunny disposition, Montaigne tells us, rested on his philosophy. The expectations of rationality, orderliness and predictability filled Democritus with confidence. He was a peaceful, efficacious person. Heraclitus (also around 500 BC) sustained that the universe is subject to constant change. Objects, animals and persons are all in the process of becoming something or someone else. No one can predict the future. Our efforts might be wasted if the situation turns against us, explained Montaigne. As a result of his ever-changing outlook, argued Montaigne, Heraclitus was a melancholic, unhappy man. No wonder that he was always worried about the future, since he viewed life as a flux. Everything is subject to perpetual change and conflict, said Heraclitus, and stability is just a short-term illusion. Humanistic ideas include a detailed outline of Democritus’ and Heraclitus’ philosophies, but go much further. Montaigne’s essay does not contain exhaustive explanations about atomistic philosophy because that’s irrelevant for its purpose. Montaigne is more interested in Democritus’ mentality and personality than in his atomistic cosmology. He cared little for the atom theory, but was fascinated by Democritus’ optimism. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/democritus-and-heraclitus-montaigne-and-humanistic-ideas/