Cicero Archieven - De Vrijmetselaar

Open book with classical letters symbolizing Montaigne's philosophical essay

Montaigne on Cicero: The Philosophical Roots of the Essay

A letter is more than ink on paper. For Michel de Montaigne, a letter was a mirror of the soul — a window into the inner life of its writer. In his essay ‘A Consideration upon Cicero,’ he examines what letters reveal about character and authenticity. Behind this seemingly simple reflection lies a rich philosophical tradition stretching from the Roman Stoa to Renaissance humanism. Understanding the sources of Montaigne’s thought unlocks a timeless wisdom about sincerity and self-knowledge — one that speaks directly to the Masonic pursuit of inner truth. The Legacy of Classical Rhetoric Montaigne grew up speaking Latin as his first language — a deliberate choice by his father, who immersed him in the classical world from birth. For Renaissance thinkers, Marcus Tullius Cicero was the supreme model of eloquence and wisdom. His letters to Atticus were celebrated as masterworks of personal correspondence. Yet Montaigne questions their sincerity. Was Cicero truly as candid as he appeared, or was he performing for posterity? This question of authenticity connects Montaigne to the Skeptical tradition. The Pyrrhonists, followers of Pyrrho of Elis, taught that certainty about the true nature of things lies beyond our reach. Sextus Empiricus, whose work Montaigne knew […]

Quill pen and parchment letter symbolising Montaigne's reflections on Cicero

Montaigne on Cicero: The Art of Sincere Writing

A letter is more than ink on paper. It is a mirror of the soul, a window into the inner world of its author. In his thirty-fourth essay from the first book, titled ‘A Consideration upon Cicero,’ Michel de Montaigne examines what letters and writings truly reveal about the people who compose them. He holds the famous Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero up against other great letter writers and raises fundamental questions about sincerity, vanity, and the real value of the written word. The Starting Point: A Personal Habit Montaigne opens this essay with a candid confession about his own writing habits. He admits that he rarely writes letters and that he would rather visit in person those to whom he ought to write. The written word, he acknowledges, is for him a necessary evil rather than a beloved pursuit. Yet this moment of self-reflection compels him to consider what letters actually are and what they mean in the broader context of human communication. From this personal vantage point, Montaigne leaps back to classical antiquity. He discusses the collected letters of Cicero — the great Roman statesman, philosopher, and orator who lived from 106 to 43 BC. These letters, preserved […]