My thesis is that Montaigne’s view of scepticism is not solely defined in his essay: An Apology for Raymond Sebond. I will argue that his beliefs and use of scepticism evolved over the course of writing his entire oeuvre. We can track this evolution by using a computer-assisted textual analysis of who are the philosophers he is referencing and when he is referencing them and the context of the references. We can also closely read a few additional critical essays including the closing work, Of Experience to complete this assessment.
I used a software package from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany that offers sophisticated context, content and data mining capabilities. I used its frequency engine to identify proper nouns in the works and then …show more content…
Plutarch was typically classified as a Platonist. But he did absorb the lessons of the Peripatetics, and the Stoics. However, he absolutely rejected the Epicurean doctrines. Like, Cicero, he was an early humanist who wrote extensively on moral and religious questions. He was open sceptical of metaphysical claims and doubted that they would ever be solved.
Seneca the Stoic Philosopher remained a key influence in Montaigne’s life and he is quoted at a rate of about 10% in the Essays. However, the Stoic philosophy plays almost no role in Montaigne’s sceptical deliberations in the Apology and by the time we read On Experience, there are no direct references to Plutarch in the body of the essay. It falls to a rate of only 4%. Elements of Stoicism would remain with Montaigne but never dominate his sceptical or later-life explorations.
This leaves Plato and Socrates – both of these philosophers dominate the early essays and the late essays and form a key part of the discussion with the Apology. They comprise a combined 27% of quotations in the entire work and 25% with the Apology. Socrates doubles his rate as the essays progress form the first half to the second half of the Essays from 6% to 11% - the largest increase of any philosopher. The key role that they play in the late Montaigne is encapsulated in this idea from his last
I used a software package from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany that offers sophisticated context, content and data mining capabilities. I used its frequency engine to identify proper nouns in the works and then …show more content…
Plutarch was typically classified as a Platonist. But he did absorb the lessons of the Peripatetics, and the Stoics. However, he absolutely rejected the Epicurean doctrines. Like, Cicero, he was an early humanist who wrote extensively on moral and religious questions. He was open sceptical of metaphysical claims and doubted that they would ever be solved.
Seneca the Stoic Philosopher remained a key influence in Montaigne’s life and he is quoted at a rate of about 10% in the Essays. However, the Stoic philosophy plays almost no role in Montaigne’s sceptical deliberations in the Apology and by the time we read On Experience, there are no direct references to Plutarch in the body of the essay. It falls to a rate of only 4%. Elements of Stoicism would remain with Montaigne but never dominate his sceptical or later-life explorations.
This leaves Plato and Socrates – both of these philosophers dominate the early essays and the late essays and form a key part of the discussion with the Apology. They comprise a combined 27% of quotations in the entire work and 25% with the Apology. Socrates doubles his rate as the essays progress form the first half to the second half of the Essays from 6% to 11% - the largest increase of any philosopher. The key role that they play in the late Montaigne is encapsulated in this idea from his last