Heroes Not Zombies

The third of Montaigne’s preferred ancient philosophies was Scepticism. There have been a number of flavours of scepticism through the ages but all are based on doubt – knowing you can never know everything so you can never be certain.

Actually there’s a modern version of scepticism which seems to consist of being absolutely sure that what someone else believes is nonsense. I’ve had a few run ins with that brand of scepticism over the years, as they seem utterly convinced it’s impossible that my patients could ever improve when treated with homeopathy. Such conviction has always seemed to me to be the opposite of scepticism.

I’m a sceptic in the way Montaigne was a sceptic. I like to question things because I know none of us can ever have complete and final knowledge of anything.

“he [Montaigne] filled his pages with words such as ‘perhaps’, ‘to some extent’, ‘I think’, ‘It seems to me’, and so on”

I completely resonate with this!

Sarah Bakewell writes….Montaigne had a deep need to be surprised by what is unique, what cannot be categorised, what is mysterious.

Again….this is me! I loved my Monday mornings at work because I knew I’d be meeting some new patients, each one of whom would tell me a story I’d never heard before. People never cease to astonish me and I’d be repeatedly amazed by how individuals had coped, and how they found ways to heal and/or to flourish. I hated the way some doctors would reduce patients to their diseases, seeing them as mere examples of this diagnosis or another. I loved how human diversity constantly eluded categorisation.

Combined with this is my deep understanding that we can never escape our own subjectivity. I will always experience and interpret my life through my personal lenses. And you will, yours. Yet, in the core of that we find much in common with each other and are able to establish strong bonds. Montaigne put it this way…

There is no use our mounting on stilts, for on stilts we must walk on our own legs. And on the loftiest throne in the world we are still sitting only on our own rump.

Another aspect of Montaigne’s take on scepticism with which I agree, was his understanding that the only constant in the universe is change so no knowledge is ever fixed or complete.

We, and our judgement, and all mortal things go on flowing and rolling unceasingly. Thus nothing certain can be established about one thing by another, both the judging and the judged being in continual change and motion.

Becoming not being, folks!