An Apology For Raymond Sebond Analysis

In Montaigne’s essay An Apology for Raymond Sebond, he defends the work and philosophy of Sebond, which he defines as a “bold and courageous” defense of the Christian religion using natural, human reason, meant to counter atheists (Montaigne 491). Objections arose to this work, and the one Montaigne approaches more thoroughly is that Sebond is wrong overall in his defense of faith, and that faith is not necessary in the acquisition of knowledge about worldly matters (Montaigne 500-501). This argument Montaigne counters with numerous claims, but the one in question is this: man has no knowledge to speak of outside of the divine, as we have not been equipped to judge the world around us. It is worth pointing out that, while Montaigne spends …show more content…
In seeking knowledge outside of God, man grows prideful and arrogant (Montaigne 500). But Montaigne states that “no system discovered by man has greater usefulness nor a greater appearance of truth [than Pyrrhonism] which shows us Man naked, empty, aware of his natural weaknesses, fit to accept help from on high” (Montaigne 564). The omission of man’s own opinions and assertions leaves more room for divine knowledge, the only thing which Montaigne believes we can be truly certain of. When Montaigne rejects the idea that man can gain knowledge outside of God, he rejects the vanity that comes along with this blasphemous …show more content…
However, I doubt it would convert an Epicurean who is set in his ways, and though it presents Pyrrhonism in a very good light, highlighting its upsides and aligning it with Christian theology, it would not, I gather, sway a dogmatic atheist. Nonetheless, it does serve to defend Montaigne and his views as a skeptic, as well as a Catholic, showing why Montaigne, while clinging to divine Truth, calls both man’s senses and all aspects of his knowledge into