Essays

by Michel de Montaigne, John M. Cohen (Translator), John M. Cohen (Introduction)

Overview

Montaignes Hauptwerk begründeten die literarische Form des Essays. Die einzelnen Abschnitte seiner Essais betrachten unterschiedliche Objekte von ebenso unterschiedlichem Rang und reichen etwa von konfessionellen Streitfragen über die Medizin und Heilkunde, zu grundlegenden Problemen menschlicher Erkenntnis, betrachten das zwischenmenschliche Zusammenleben, Hexenprozesse und Aberglauben, Reiten und Pferde in einer kaleidoskopischen Vielfalt.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780140178975
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/28/1993
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	87,561
Product dimensions:	5.05(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.73(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne, was born in 1533, the son and heir of Pierre, Seigneur de Montaigne (two previous children dying soon after birth). He was brought up to speak Latin as his mother tongue and always retained a Latin turn of mind; though he knew Greek, he preferred to use translations. After studying law he eventually became counselor to the Parlement of Bordeaux. He married in 1565. In 1569 he published his French version of the Natural Theology of Raymond Sebond; his Apology is only partly a defense of Sebond and sets skeptical limits to human reasoning about God, man and nature. He retired in 1571 to his lands at Montaigne, devoting himself to reading and reflection and to composing his Essays (first version, 1580). He loathed the fanaticism and cruelties of the religious wars of the period, but sided with Catholic orthodoxy and legitimate monarchy. He was twice elected Mayor of Bordeaux (1581 and 1583), a post he held for four years. He died at Montaigne (1592) while preparing the final, and richest, edition of his Essays.

Table of Contents

EssaysIntroduction
To the Reader

Book One
7. That our actions should be judged by our intentions
8. On idleness
9. On liars
10. That no man should be called happy until after his death
21. On the power of the imagination
22. That one man's profit is another's loss
26. On the education of children
27. That it is folly to measure truth and error by our own capacity
28. On friendship
31. On cannibals
36. On the custom of wearing clothes
47. On the uncertainty of our judgement
50. On Democritus and Heraclitus
55. On smells

Book Two
8. On the affection of fathers for their children
10. On books
11. On cruelty
17. On presumption
28. All things have their season
32. A defence of Seneca and Plutarch

Book Three
2. On repentance
3. On three kinds of relationships
6. On vehicles
8. On the art of conversation
12. On physiognomy
13. On experience