Speak of the moderns without contempt, and of the ancients without idolatry.

Chesterfield’s maxim urges intellectual balance in judging culture and learning. “Moderns” should not be dismissed simply because they are new, fashionable, or less canonized; contempt can blind one to genuine advances and living insight. Conversely, “ancients” (classical authors and inherited authorities) deserve respect but not “idolatry”—a worshipful reverence that treats tradition as infallible and discourages independent judgment. The line reflects an Enlightenment ideal of polite, rational criticism: cultivate taste and learning from the classics while remaining open to contemporary thought, weighing both by reason and evidence rather than prejudice or hero-worship.