Montaigne e la 'coutume': una rivoluzione relativistica?

Montaigne’s doctrine on custom (coutume) represents a revolution compared to the philosophies of habit and custom of Patristics and Scholasticism. Precisely because of its innovativeness, this doctrine, in the second half of the 20th century, was interpreted, especially by scholars of the human and social sciences, as an anticipation of the cultural relativism on which contemporary ethnology is based. This contribution aims firstly at illustrating the main characters of Montaigne’s reflection on custom, and secondly at problematising the ascription of Montaigne’s thought to cultural relativism. By analysing above all the chapters of the Essais on custom (I, 23) and on cannibals (I, 31), the originality and relevance of Montaigne’s conception of custom will be shown, and arguments will be provided for rejecting the relativistic interpretation that has spread beyond the boundaries of ethnological studies.