Chapter 79
When Bad Means Serve Good Ends
OF ILL MEANS EMPLOYED TO A GOOD END There is wonderful relation and correspondence in this universal government of the works of nature, which very well makes it appear that it is neither accidental nor carried on by divers masters. The diseases and conditions of our bodies are, in like manner, manifest in states and governments; kingdoms and republics are founded, flourish, and decay with age as we do. We are subject to a repletion of humours, useless and dangerous: whether of those that are good (for even those the physicians are afraid of; and seeing we have nothing in…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"wonderful relation and correspondence in this universal government of the works of nature"
Context: Nature's order
Opening frame.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne says there is wonderful relation and correspondence in the universal government of the works of nature, which shows one hand at work. Order exists. Use that fact to judge when human shortcuts break the pattern instead of completing it Ask what evidence you have beyond the first impulse..
"Lycurgus, the most perfect legislator that ever was, virtuous and invented this very unjust practice of making the helots, who were their slaves, drunk by force, to the end that the Spartans, seeing them so lost and buried in wine, might abhor the excess of this vice"
Context: Helots drunk
Ill means taught.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne says Lycurgus, the most perfect legislator, invented the unjust practice of making helots drunk by force so Spartans would abhor excess. Lessons can be staged with cruelty. Ask whether your training method teaches virtue or only uses someone else's humiliation as a prop Ask what evidence you have beyond the first impulse..
"stake their blood and their lives in quarrels wherein they have no manner of concern"
Context: Mercenaries
Modern parallel.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne says we daily see thousands of men of other nations stake their blood and their lives for money in quarrels wherein they have no manner of concern. Violence can be rented. When war feels distant, ask whose children are paid to carry the risk you will not touch yourself.
"unskilled in arms, immodestly engaged in manly fights"
Context: Female combat
Close shock.
In Today's Words:
Statius, quoted by Montaigne, marvels that the tender sex, unskilled in arms, immodestly engaged in manly fights. Spectacle blurs lines. Notice when entertainment trains appetite for harm you would condemn if the victims looked more like you Ask what evidence you have beyond the first impulse..
Thematic Threads
Leadership
In This Chapter
Montaigne examines how leaders must sometimes choose harmful methods to prevent worse outcomes, like redirecting internal conflicts toward external enemies
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might face this when managing a team where every decision disappoints someone, forcing you to choose the least damaging option.
Moral Complexity
In This Chapter
The essay grapples with practices that work effectively but violate moral ideals, like using brutal gladiator games to teach citizens courage
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You encounter this when workplace policies you disagree with actually prevent bigger problems from occurring.
Social Control
In This Chapter
Montaigne describes how societies use morally questionable methods like forced intoxication of slaves to teach citizens by negative example
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You see this when institutions use fear tactics or uncomfortable truths to modify behavior for the greater good.
Human Nature
In This Chapter
The essay acknowledges that human weakness often forces leaders into impossible positions where any action causes suffering
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You experience this when family dynamics force you to choose between enabling someone or causing immediate pain through tough love.
Practical Necessity
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how effective governance sometimes requires choosing between different kinds of harm rather than pursuing ideal solutions
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You face this when budget constraints force you to prioritize some family needs while sacrificing others.
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
Why does Montaigne compare nations to human bodies that need periodic bloodletting?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Both accumulate dangerous pressures that must be released before they cause total breakdown. Just as doctors purge healthy patients to prevent imbalance, nations must discharge restless energy.
- 2
How did Roman gladiator games achieve their social purpose despite their brutality?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
They taught citizens to face death courageously by watching others do it daily. The spectacle normalized violence and sacrifice, making Romans braver in war and more accepting of necessary losses.
- 3
Where do you see modern leaders using questionable means for supposedly good ends?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Politicians might start foreign conflicts to unite divided populations, or companies might lay off workers to save the business. The justification is always preventing greater harm.
- 4
If you led a country facing internal unrest, would you consider Montaigne's foreign war solution?
application • deepOne way to read it
This forces a choice between certain injustice to foreigners and probable civil collapse at home. Montaigne suggests such dilemmas reveal the tragic limitations of human leadership.
- 5
What does Montaigne's essay reveal about the gap between moral ideals and practical governance?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
Perfect moral choices rarely exist in leadership. The weakness of human nature creates situations where any action causes suffering, forcing leaders to choose between different evils.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Impossible Choice
Think of a difficult decision you're facing or have faced where all options seem to cause some kind of harm. Draw three columns: Option A consequences, Option B consequences, Do Nothing consequences. List both immediate and long-term effects for each choice. Then identify which option minimizes total damage, not just the damage you can see clearly.
Consider:
- •Consider hidden costs of inaction - what problems grow worse if left alone?
- •Distinguish between harm you cause directly versus harm you allow to continue
- •Ask who benefits from keeping the current situation unchanged
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to choose between bad options. What helped you decide? Looking back, do you think you minimized total harm, or just avoided the harm that felt most uncomfortable to you personally?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 80: The True Scale of Power
After ill means and good ends, Montaigne measures true scale. Popilius will draw a circle in the dirt around Antiochus, and Caesar will offer kingship in Gaul as casually as a letter closing.
