Notes by RBJ on
The Complete Works
by Michel de Montaigne
Overview
Essays, Book I
Essays, Book II

A book length essay ostensibly in defence of Sebond's book "Natural Theology". The principle plan for the "defence" seems to be sceptical, rather than arguing for the propositions of natural theology Montaigne argues that man and his reason is too paltry to yield knowledge and we need God to help us out in these matter. This essays therefore seems to contain the most extended exposition of Montaigne's scepticism.
Essays, Book II, no.12 - Apology for Raymond Sebond
A book length essay ostensibly in defence of Sebond's book "Natural Theology". The principle plan for the "defence" seems to be sceptical, rather than arguing for the propositions of natural theology Montaigne argues that man and his reason is too paltry to yield knowledge and we need God to help us out in these matter. This essays therefore seems to contain the most extended exposition of Montaigne's scepticism.
0 Introduction
The subheadings used below are those of the translator.
1 Sebond and His Book
Montaigne describes Sebond's book as written in Spanish "scrambled up with latin endings", and explains how the book came to be in the possession of his father and that his father asked him to translate it into French. After this background Montaigne offers high praise to the book and then questions its originality, noting that one Adrianus Turnebus suggested to him that it was "some quintessence extracted from St. Thomas Aquinas".
2 First Objection to Sebond: Defense
The first objection is that it is harmful to defend religion by reason since it is conceived by faith and through divine grace.
3 First Objection to Sebond: Conclusions
4 Second Objection to Sebond: The Objectors
5 Second Objection to Sebond: Defense
6 Counterattack: The vanity of man and man's Knowledge without God
7 Man is no better than the animals
This is quite an extended essay copious with evidence of the sophistication of animals, of evidences of their intelligence, and indeed of pretty much all the attributes in which humans sometimes think themselves distinguished from animals.
8 Man's knowledge cannot make him happy
9 Man's knowledge cannot make him good
10 Man has no knowledge
11 Warning to the Princess
12 Man can have no knowledge
13 The senses are inadquate
14 Changing man cannot know changing things
15 Changin man cannot know unchanging God
16 Conclusion: man is nothing without God

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