Montaigne's Rejection of Reason of State in 'De l'Utile et de l'honneste'
This article analyzes Book Three, Chapter One of Montaigne's Essais to determine if the interpretation by Quentin Skinner and others (that it demonstrates Montaigne's support of what was later called raison d'Etat) is as clear as it seems to be. Through a close reading of the text and...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
1992
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 1992, Volume: 23, Issue: 1, Pages: 71-94 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article analyzes Book Three, Chapter One of Montaigne's Essais to determine if the interpretation by Quentin Skinner and others (that it demonstrates Montaigne's support of what was later called raison d'Etat) is as clear as it seems to be. Through a close reading of the text and examination of a number of deliberate paradoxes and satirical inversions, it is possible to resolve several seeming contradictions in the essay, and to conclude that the essayist's intention is precisely the opposite of that ascribed to him. There is an inner coherence to this essay that can be shown to be directed against the precepts that underpinned the logic of"reason of state" writings; in fact, he completely undermines that logic. The ambiguous nature of Montaigne's essay, however, is seen as the cause of its misinterpretation from his own time up until the present day. While acknowledging that Montaigne's ambiguity led to his essay being used in support of reason of state thinking, it is hoped that this analysis will lead to a reevaluation of Montaigne's intentions. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2542065 |