Chapter 30
Questioning Our Own Barbarism
OF CANNIBALS When King Pyrrhus invaded Italy, having viewed and considered the order of the army the Romans sent out to meet him; “I know not,” said he, “what kind of barbarians” (for so the Greeks called all other nations) “these may be; but the disposition of this army that I see has nothing of barbarism in it.”--[Plutarch, Life of Pyrrhus, c. 8.]--As much said the Greeks of that which Flaminius brought into their country; and Philip, beholding from an eminence the order and distribution of the Roman camp formed in his kingdom by Publius Sulpicius Galba, spake to the…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"nothing barbarous and savage in this nation, by anything that I can gather, excepting, that every one gives the title of barbarism to everything that is not in use in his own country."
Context: Judging the Brazilians
Barbarism is usually local.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne finds nothing barbarous in the nation he describes except that everyone calls barbarous what is not used at home. We treat our own customs as truth and reason. An outsider would likely say the same about your workplace rituals, family customs, or national habits.
"plain ignorant fellow, and therefore the more likely to tell truth: for your better-bred sort of men are much more curious in their observation, ‘tis true, and discover a great deal more; but then they gloss upon it, and to give the greater weight to what they deliver, and allure your belief, they cannot forbear a little to alter the story; they never represent things to you simply as they are, but rather as they appeared to them, or as they would have them appear to you, and to gain the reputation of men of judgment, and the better to induce your faith, are willing to help out the business with something more than is really true, of their own invention."
Context: Why he trusts his servant
Simplicity can beat polish.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne calls his witness a plain ignorant fellow and therefore more likely to tell truth. Better-bred narrators often garnish stories to seem judicious and learned. When you need facts, prefer the dull accurate account over the eloquent one that mainly makes the teller look wise.
"barbarity in eating a man alive, than when he is dead; in tearing a body limb from limb by racks and torments, that is yet in perfect sense; in roasting it by degrees; in causing it to be bitten and worried by dogs and swine (as we have not only read, but lately seen, not amongst inveterate and mortal enemies, but among neighbours and fellow-citizens, and, which is worse, under colour of piety and religion), than to roast and eat him after he is dead."
Context: Comparing European and Tupinambá cruelty
Moral comparison reverses labels.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne says there is more barbarity in eating a man alive than when he is dead. He is comparing torture and ritual cannibalism without excusing either side. Use that test on headlines: which horror is normalized because it happens under law, religion, or long tradition?
"should submit to obey a child, and that they did not rather choose out one amongst themselves to command."
Context: What amazed them at the French court
Outsiders see power clearly.
In Today's Words:
Brazilian visitors wondered why so many strong armed men should submit to obey a child at court. Habit hides what strangers see immediately in any court or country. Ask what a newcomer would find strangest about your office hierarchy, family rules, or the politics of your own country.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Indigenous visitors question why the poor tolerate extreme inequality when they could easily overthrow the rich
Development
Evolved to show how class divisions appear arbitrary and unjust to outside observers
In Your Life:
You might notice how workplace hierarchies that feel normal to you seem absurd to friends in different industries
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Europeans judge cannibalism as savage while practicing torture, showing how cultural norms blind us to our own cruelties
Development
Deepened to reveal how social expectations create moral blindness within groups
In Your Life:
You might realize you judge other families' dysfunction while missing your own family's harmful patterns
Identity
In This Chapter
Montaigne questions the very concept of 'civilized' versus 'barbarous' as arbitrary labels based on familiarity
Development
Expanded to show identity as culturally constructed rather than inherently meaningful
In Your Life:
You might recognize how your professional identity makes certain behaviors feel justified that outsiders see as problematic
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Indigenous society shares everything and has no concept of lying, contrasting with European competition and deception
Development
Introduced here as alternative models for human connection and trust
In Your Life:
You might notice how your relationships involve normalized dishonesty that would shock people from more direct cultures
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
What does Montaigne mean when he says we call things barbarous only because they differ from our own customs?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
He argues that 'barbarism' is just a label we give to unfamiliar practices, not an objective measure of civilization or morality.
- 2
Why does Montaigne compare indigenous people to wild fruits that are actually superior to cultivated ones?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
The analogy suggests that natural societies may be more genuine and virtuous than our 'improved' civilization, which has corrupted basic human nature.
- 3
Where do you see people today dismissing other cultures as backward while ignoring problems in their own society?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Social media often amplifies this pattern when people criticize other countries' practices while remaining blind to similar issues at home, like inequality or violence.
- 4
How would you respond to someone using cultural differences to justify calling another group primitive or uncivilized?
application • deepOne way to read it
Ask what specific harm their practices cause versus our own, and whether the judgment comes from genuine moral concern or cultural bias and unfamiliarity.
- 5
What does the indigenous visitors' shock at European inequality reveal about how we normalize injustice?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
It shows how familiarity can blind us to obvious wrongs. Outsider perspectives often expose contradictions we've learned to accept as natural or inevitable.
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Outsider's Eye
Choose a situation you're deeply familiar with—your workplace, your neighborhood, your family dynamics. Write a brief description of what you think a complete outsider would find shocking, confusing, or unfair about this situation. Then flip perspectives: identify something about another group or culture that you judge harshly, and try to understand the logic behind their practices.
Consider:
- •Focus on practices you've stopped noticing because they're 'just how things are done'
- •Consider power dynamics that might be invisible to insiders but obvious to outsiders
- •Ask yourself what you're defending simply because it's familiar, not because it's right
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone from outside your normal circle pointed out something problematic that you hadn't noticed. How did their perspective change your understanding? What other blind spots might you still have?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 31: Don't Pretend to Know God's Mind
After judging cultures by custom, Montaigne turns to a harder limit. He will warn against pretending to know God's mind or reading divine will into every victory and defeat.
