Ignorance, improvisation and incoherence are not sources of artistic authenticity. At best, they can lead to colourful chaos or waste. At worst, they can do the artist in. When we refer to artistic and philosophical authenticity, we are referring to truthfulness, consistency, and accuracy. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) devoted twenty years to the pursuit of literary authenticity, and he succeeded fairly well. Nevertheless, Montaigne’s authenticity remains asymmetric: It reached a very high level in his areas of expertise (history, law, religion), but decreased in other areas (health, warfare, or epistemology). Montaigne deployed good efforts to research his subjects, but his personal library was limited. I do admire his endless curiosity and dedication to seeking the truth, but nobody can become a master in all trades. Let us look at several examples that show the asymmetry in his literary authenticity. His authenticity was superb in essays directly based on his own experience. For instance, his essay “Of Experience” is presenting us a first-hand recollection of Montaigne’s efforts to acquire knowledge and improve his own life. I perceive the same deep authenticity in Montaigne’s essay “Of the Education of Children,” which is based on his personal experience as a father. Montaigne criticizes rote memorization as a pointless exercise, and favours the development of critical thinking. Similarly, Montaigne’s essay “Of Friendship” is drawn from the friendship between Montaigne and Etienne de la Boetie. In many aspects, this essay is mirroring the writings of Aristotle (384-322 BC) in the “Nicomachean Ethics,” which view close friendships as a major contributing factor to happiness. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/asymmetry-in-michel-de-montaignes-literary-authenticity/

Ver todos los episodios