Category: Philosophy
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Realism of Seneca’s advice to live in accordance with nature
It’s hypocritical to recommend poverty when one is wealthy, or to recommend passivity when one has displayed remarkable industriousness for decades. Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) […]
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Feasibility of Seneca’s advice to live in accordance with nature
Like most antique philosophers, Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) used grandiloquent terms to spice up his writings. For instance, he employed the words “cosmos” and “natural […]
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Seneca on living in accordance with nature
When taken out of context, philosophical statements prove misleading; when poorly defined, they become dangerous; and the more frequently they are repeated, the more dangerous […]
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Why Michel de Montaigne remains relevant today
Until recently, society used to hold old individuals in high regard. It was recognized that wisdom comes from experience, and that learning from other people’s […]
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Michel de Montaigne’s relevance today
Before devoting time to reading a classical work, it is fair to ask about its relevance today. Why should I devote my energy to reading […]
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Michel de Montaigne’s impact on French literature and cultural identity
In assessing cultural influences, I find it more conclusive to look at philosophical values than at anecdotes and artifices of style. Thinkers leave behind ethical […]
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Michel de Montaigne’s contribution to early modern philosophy
When asked about someone’s contribution to philosophy, I reply by giving a list of his innovations. I want to underline the new concepts that he […]
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Why Michel de Montaigne had no impact on early modern philosophy
I am always puzzled when I see historians or philosophers put forward theories for which the evidence is rather thin. Even if they write a […]
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Michel de Montaigne’s impact on early modern philosophy
Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) had zero impact on early modern philosophy because his great merit was to look to the past, not to the future. […]
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Michel de Montaigne’s key lesson on the art of living
The biographies of great individuals teach us many lessons, but I am always seeking the common thread between them. In the case of Michel de […]
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