Montaigne and the Origins of Modern Philosophy

239 Pages·2013·1.159 MB·English

by  Ann Hartle

Montaigne and
the Origins of
Modern Philosophy

Montaigne and
the Origins of
Modern Philosophy

Ann Hartle
northwestern university press
evanston, illinois
Northwestern University Press
www.nupress.northwestern.edu
Copyright © 2013 by Northwestern University Press. Published 2013.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hartle, Ann.
Montaigne and the origins of modern philosophy / Ann Hartle.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8101-2965-8 (cloth) — ISBN 978-0-8101-2932-0 (pbk.)
1. Montaigne, Michel de, 1533–1592. Essais. 2. Montaigne, Michel de, 1533–
1592—Philosophy. 3. Montaigne, Michel de, 1533–1592—Political and social
views. 4. Philosophy in literature. I. Title.
PQ1643.H295 2013
844.3—dc23
2013025328
Except where otherwise noted, this book is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a
copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
In all cases attribution should include the following information:
Hartle, Ann. Montaigne and the Origins of Modern Philosophy. Evanston:
Northwestern University Press, 2013.
For permissions beyond the scope of this license, visit http://www.nupress
.northwestern.edu/.
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To Francis Slade
Teacher, Friend, True Philosopher

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Note on the Texts xxi
Part One: The Transformation of Philosophy
Chapter One
Reversing Aristotle 5
Chapter Two
Sticking to the Old Ways: Montaigne and Sacred Tradition 29
Chapter Three
The Philosophical Act (I): Judgment 51
Chapter Four
The Philosophical Act (II): Ending in Experience 77
Part Two: The Invention of Society
Chapter Five
Overcoming Natural Mastery 99
Chapter Six
The Primacy of the Private and the Origins of a Free Society 135
Chapter Seven
The Character of the Free Individual 155
Conclusion
The Invisibility of Philosophy and the Light of the Good 181
Notes 185
Works Cited 207
Index 213
Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated, in gratitude and admiration, to Francis Slade, my
teacher, friend, and exemplar of the integrity of the life of philosophy and
the life of faith. His work on the origins of modern philosophy, especially
the political philosophy of Machiavelli, has influenced my understanding
of Montaigne at the most fundamental level. My thanks are due to John
Kekes, Donald Livingston, and Donald Phillip Verene who read earlier
versions of the manuscript and gave me their very helpful comments and
suggestions. Erika Ahern’s sharp editorial eye was most useful in making
my expression clearer. I am grateful for her care and skill. The Emory
University Research Committee funded a semester during which much of
the research was done. Additional support from the Emory Philosophy
Department and Emory College of Arts and Sciences for the completion
of this work is gratefully acknowledged. A year spent at the Fox Cen-
ter for Humanistic Inquiry of Emory University was invaluable to me
in the earliest stages of this project. I am grateful to Martine Brownley,
Keith Anthony, and their staff for their gracious support. The Seminar
on “Montaigne and the Origins of Modern Philosophy” (sponsored by
the Institute for the History of Philosophy of the Emory Philosophy
Department through the generosity of the Marcus Foundation), which
I conducted in June 2010, was an occasion for the development of these
ideas in the company of learned and insightful colleagues. I thank the
participants for their generosity and friendship. Finally, my debt to my
husband, Robert, goes well beyond what I can express here.
Chapter 2, “Sticking to the Old Ways: Montaigne and Sacred Tradition,”
appeared in Anamnesis: A Journal for the Study of Tradition, Place, and
‘Things Divine,’ vol. 1, no. 1 (2011).
ix