The Montaigne's "sagesse" from two perspectives: from the "otium" to the "negotium"

Abstract

 The article examines the particular manner in which Montaigne positions itself in the defense of Otium in the context of the classical debate vivified by the Renaissance humanists on Otium and Negotium, or on contemplative life and active life. Montaigne’ s position on the subject will be described through the reading of two chapters, which maintain - although distant in time - lively and instigating relationships among themselves: De la Solitude, from the first book of the Essais and De ménager sa volonté, from the third. We intend to show how the peculiar solitary’s ethos that Montaigne constitutes for itself by appropriation of the Senecan’ s lessons overcoming the traditional dichotomy to serving the affirmation of another notion of Prudentia and "act well” in public life. The fundamental nexus of this notion is not in the ambition of glory but in the possession of oneself or in the inner adequacy to the individual nature.