In Molière’s Tartuffe, Cléante—a rational, moral, prudent man—faces turmoil in the house of Orgon: a menagerie of unwarranted passions, mistaken ideas, willful self-deception, and the deceitful manipulations of Tartuffe the imposter. Molière uses Cléante as a harmonizing influence on those embroiled in the chaos; Cléante serves as the paragon of rational morality—the antithesis of chaos and conflict. He derives all his actions and motivations from the fundamental basis of logic: the law of non-contradiction. Cléante uses non-contradiction to arrive at a rational morality, which he considers easily understandable and accessible to others. Cléante’s rational morality stabilizes the household; it prevents the conflict from escalating into the ultimate unreason: violence. By exerting this influence, Cléante proves indispensable to the conflict’s resolution; his successful prevention of violence allows the King to see Orgon’s family as good and to rule in their favor. Through this play’s resolution, Molière vindicates Cléante’s rational morality in practice; Cléante’s ideas render him an indirect but crucial agent. 

            Cléante derives his guidance from a firm morality of reason. Cléante’s activities all stem from one fundamental insight at the core of all logic—the law of non-contradiction. Only one reality exists; the law of non-contradiction holds that no aspect of this reality can simultaneously have and lack any given attribute; no existent can be what it is not. The law of non-contradiction also implies that every truth about reality is consistent with every other truth. Reason is the process which uses this law to gain an accurate understanding of the world; reason identifies and integrates aspects of reality so that no datum of knowledge contradicts any other. If one holds mutually contradictory ideas, one’s understanding is somehow flawed and can only be rectified by eliminating the contradiction. In any set of mutually contradictory ideas, at least one idea must be false. When seeking to persuade Orgon that Tartuffe ought not be trusted, Cléante uses this principle to affirm his credibility: “There’s just one insight I would dare to claim: / I know that true and false are not the same” (Tar. I.5.95-96). Cléante uses reason to identify contradictions among the beliefs, motivations, and actions of those around him. He seeks to eliminate those contradictions by appealing to others to alter their behavior and improve upon their understanding.  This rational thinker perceives the glaring contradiction between Tartuffe’s stated pious beliefs and his true desire to materially exploit Orgon—which Tartuffe displays in practice. Cléante applies this insight to real life; he endeavors to influence a change in the family’s attitudes and behaviors toward the imposter. 

            Cléante recognizes that genuine reason is inextricably linked to living a moral life—a life accessible to anyone who acts on a set of easily discernible rational conclusions. He exhorts Orgon’s family to follow a knowable, beneficent system of moral laws when he advises, “Let’s strive to live by conscience’ clear decrees...” (Tar. I.1.101). Rather than act on the basis of gossip, spur-of-the-moment passion, or calculated deception, Cléante employs reason honestly and benevolently. By emphasizing the clarity of conscience’ decrees, Cléante displays his conviction that rational morality is available to all. One can easily recognize and follow it once one commits oneself to the pursuit of truth and the eradication of contradictions. The non-contradictory life is the good life for Cléante—a view he displays when he compares Tartuffe to the genuinely pious after listing several instances in which Tartuffe’s conduct violates his pronouncements: “Such knaves are all too common; yet, for the wise, / True piety isn’t hard to recognize…” (Tar. I.5.123-124). Tartuffe, according to Cléante, is immoral because his actions blatantly contradict his stated beliefs. The moral man strives for a rigorous consistency between the two; this consistency is easy for the rational onlooker to discern.

            In his desire for a non-contradictory, rational, moral life, Cléante acts as the play’s great stabilizer; he seeks to eradicate conflicts between other characters. He advises Tartuffe to refrain from placing himself at odds with Orgon’s family: “The quarrel must be mended, and my advice is / Not to push matters to a further crisis” (Tar. V.1.15-16). Every conflict is a contradiction between the interests of one person and those of another; Cléante recognizes that two fully rational men would never clash with one another. Conflict signifies irrationality on at least one side; this irrationality—if unresolved—escalates into chaos and suffering. Cléante thus advises Tartuffe not to escalate his irrational demands upon Orgon’s family; he instead wants Tartuffe to relent and pursue objectives compatible with the rights and rational interests of others.

            The worst possible consequence of unreason is the initiation of force—a sign of the ultimate contradiction among men’s interests—a clash leading to blood. Above all, Cléante seeks to prevent irrationality’s escalation into violence. He urges Damis to restrain the desire to kill Tartuffe: “Do learn to moderate your fits of rage. / In this just kingdom, this enlightened age, / One does not settle things by violence” (Tar. V.2.11-13). Cléante recognizes that Damis was genuinely wronged by Tartuffe. However, initiating force against a man is the ultimate wrong; if Damis were to do this, his moral superiority over the imposter would be compromised.  Tartuffe’s actions are rife with contradictions—but they cannot be resolved by more of the same from Damis. Cléante seeks foremost to caution Damis and prevent violent chaos; he reminds Damis: “Careful; don’t make things worse” (Tar. V.4.84). Existing contradictions can be resolved only after new ones are forestalled. Cléante wants to give reason, not force, a chance to address both.

            Although Cléante does not directly resolve the conflict between Orgon’s family and Tartuffe, he is indispensable to its resolution. By preventing Damis from lapsing into violent immorality, he allows all of Orgon’s family to remain clearly in the good. This enables the King to recognize that the morality of Orgon and his kin has not been stained—that they committed no fault that might have strengthened Tartuffe’s case against them. Because of Cléante’s stabilizing influence, the family remains unambiguously good, and Tartuffe’s evil is recognized unambiguously by contrast. Indirectly, Cléante allows the King to perceive this stark contradiction; once clearly seen, it is easy to resolve. Through this resolution, Molière vindicates Cléante’s rational morality. By having the King interfere, Molière demonstrates the truth of Cléante’s premise that anyone can easily recognize and follow the principles of rational morality. The King is an outsider to the situation, but he cleanly and justly resolves the situation using a non-contradictory understanding of the facts. Tartuffe’s professed piety and his use of the pious façade to expropriate Orgon clearly contradict one another; the King is able to conclude that one of these attributes —Tartuffe’s piety—is not genuine.

            Through the ultimate triumph and practical demonstration of Cléante’s ideas, Molière affirms the efficacy of rational morality in real life. Through Cléante, Molière endeavors to teach his audience that the key to reason is non-contradiction; by diligently resolving all contradictions, one can reach a good, moral life. Reason serves as a stabilizing force to prevent contradictions from amassing and exploding into violent conflict. Once all contradictions are swept aside, the truth is easy to see, and the conflict can subside with justice done to all. Orgon’s family frees itself of the imposter only because all of its members and the King eventually recognize what Cléante was saying all along.

Works Cited

Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. Tartuffe. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume 2. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: W. V. Norton & Company, 2006.

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