English, 27.01.2020 15:31 keyonaemanieevans

What is montaigne’s view of human nature versus modern civilization? how does he use the concepts of barbarism, wildness, and blindness to make his view clear?

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With regards to human nature versus Modern civilization, Montaigne remains highly skeptical about the capacity of civilization to correct or mitigate the worst aspects of human nature. In accordance to such outlook he considers that only a very healthy and prudent skepticism can allow humans to make the right choices about everything. Because he is skeptical about the actual human capacity to find out what the truth is, let alone understand it, he considers that a measure of emotional detachment is necessary in order to understand reality.

This incapacity of humans to actually find the truth is associated with the philosophical blindness of humans. In this he is verily a man if his time, the Renaissance, during which Greek and Latin Classical Culture was rediscovered in Europe. The Myth of Plato’s Cavern is directly linked to his reasoning on human blindness.

The fact that he opposed European colonization of the America’s is directly related to the opposition between wildness and barbarism: since American natives were considered as “wild” by European colonizers in so much as they lacked the technological advances of the latter and engaged in some barbaric customs such as human sacrifices, the European colonists engaged in barbaric practices that caused great suffering. This is due to the fact that Europeans sought to colonize and civilize these “wild savages” with methods that many times were as barbaric as the practices they were striving to root out.

Answer from: michaellab1

Montaigne’s view is actually a third, a synthesis of the two views mentioned above. We might call Montaigne’s view of human nature a critical realist view. In this perspective, all humans, Europeans and others, have both savage and noble characteristics. Montaigne influenced the development of the noble savage theory,which was later adopted by other writers including Jean Jacques Rousseau. WhileMontaigne notes the many ways that tribal cultures were superior to the culture of Western Europe at the time of his writing, his idealization is a bit chastened. Montaigneneither sanctions cannibalism, nor the killing of prisoners of war. Yet, he notes thatEuropeans were also guilty of practicing cruelty and murder, so that the notion thatEuropean civilization was superior was a dubious claim. For Montaigne, all humans are subject to the same foibles, savagery and miscalculation.

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Answer from: Quest

my answer is the spanish won

Answer from: Quest

the correct option is c) “logical reasons.”

writers should explain their position by writing logical reasons. in order to build effective arguments, clear evidence and logical ideas should be used to support the writers’ position.

counterclaims are used when the writers do not agree with a claim proposed by another author.

fair rebuttals are used by writers when a counterclaim to their position is being presented.