-or A Life Of Montaigne
I first heard about Montaigne from "The Consolations of Philosophy" Montaigne appeared to have a practical philosophy that acknowledged human frailty. I didn't set out to read Montaigne's essays though. I stumbled on this book going over my libraries list of recommended books from years gone by.
Montaigne was a nobel in France who lived in the latter half of the 1500's His lived through the protestant revolution, the black plague and the French civil wars. How didn't realize how convoluted these events were until I read this biography. Religion and politics were far more combined than they where even today. Protestantism was treason. England was supporting Protestants in Catholic France. Into this, the black plague was killing thousands of people convincing people that the end-times where near.
In this time Montaigne wrote his essays.
I'm not sure what I want to remember from this book, other than to read his essays, though this decision is now hard as Montaigne never stopped writing and rewriting his essays. On top of that there are different translations with different intent. I'll pick on and see.
10/10/2014. I've listened to the audio book a second time now, and have found a decent translation of the Essays. The public domain editions are difficult reading as they are old French translated into old English. Better to pay a few bucks and get a modern translation. I have Screech's translation.
This time around I got more out of "How to Live..." Maybe it's that life involves actually paying attention to the people and things right in front of you and not treating them as abstractions or after thoughts. Life is it's own meaning.
"All human endeavors are eventually muddled with human error."
"Life should be an aim until itself; a purpose until itself."
"Enlightenment is something learned on your own body. It takes the form of things that happen to you."
"(In your interactions) you are looking at a creature who is looking back at you. No abstract principles are involved. Only two individuals, face to face, hoping from the best from one another."
10/10/2014. I've listened to the audio book a second time now, and have found a decent translation of the Essays. The public domain editions are difficult reading as they are old French translated into old English. Better to pay a few bucks and get a modern translation. I have Screech's translation.
This time around I got more out of "How to Live..." Maybe it's that life involves actually paying attention to the people and things right in front of you and not treating them as abstractions or after thoughts. Life is it's own meaning.
"All human endeavors are eventually muddled with human error."
"Life should be an aim until itself; a purpose until itself."
"Enlightenment is something learned on your own body. It takes the form of things that happen to you."
"(In your interactions) you are looking at a creature who is looking back at you. No abstract principles are involved. Only two individuals, face to face, hoping from the best from one another."
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