Title: Montaigne's Perfect Friendship and Perfect Society: Philosophical Fictions as Useful Reminders
Abstract: Michel de Montaigne's "Of friendship" is often read as a celebration of his relationship with his late friend Étienne de La Boétie. This is not wrong but, rather, incomplete. Drawing on the chapters of Montaigne's Essais that immediately follow "Of friendship," this essay argues that Montaigne's chapter on friendship is part of a larger project in which he employs philosophical fictions—specifically, his "perfect friendship" with La Boétie and the "perfect society" that he depicts in "Of cannibals"—to reorient us in our relationships not only with our friends but also with our enemies.
Publication Year: 2021
Publication Date: 2021-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot