Author: PATRYCJA BURY

Michel Montaigne was a philosopher and one of the most influential writers of the Franch Renaissance. Montaigne argues in his work critical self-reflection and provides valuable comments about Middle Age French culture, politics, and life. The Essays provides a collection of analyzes, observations, events about the curious mind. ” They present a curious mind investigating history, the complex and changing sociopolitical world, and the mind’s own slightly mysterious working” (343 Essays).

Montaigne wanted to have a better understanding of how the mind is working in all of the circumstances of life, from greatest events to the most everyday routine. ” When Montaigne looks inward, he does not aggrandize or justify himself but tries to understand how the mind works” (343 Essays). His concerns what generally might be thought of as the  “good” or “ethical”.  Throughout my experience, the mind is relating to previous events from the past and is recognizing that as good or bad thought in our adult life. As a child, we have been taught what is good what is bad, we did not bear with a setup mind for a positive or negative prospectives. We learned from parents, older siblings, the close family than from school, teachers, books which shaped our minds. I agree with Montaigne if you want to achieve a state close to perfection you must reach beyond yourself.  You need to push yourself outside your limits! I know that from my personal experience. If you want something you need to step out of your comfort zone otherwise you never move from the place where you stand and you won’t achieve your dream or goal.

An American poet, essayist, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau said:” read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all”.  In my high school times,  each year school provided a list of books that we must-read. The list included a classic work of literature, history, philosophy, and culture. Confession by St. Augustine is one of these great books that you must read.

St. Augustine of Hippo provides in Confession coherent rationale.  The fundamental reason for reading great tests is to be wiser. For Augustine reading for any reason other than the sapiential is very little importance or value. He argues there that wisdom should lead to personal transformation – a matter of life or death.

” The overall effect of the Confession is to turn the reader inward, away from the individual journey of Augustine and toward the collective journey of humanity towards the divine” (Augustine 46).

Augustine was reading a lot, to have a better understanding of this journey; he measures his spiritual growth throughout the lenses of reading.  The beauty of reading Confession is a documentary history that assembles the various fact of life. Augustine tells the story of his heart and soul.

Christine de Pizan has been described as the first professional writer necessitated by her social class and gender. She is the writer of the Middle Ages who hews to let us a better understanding of what is to be a woman living in times; when women were not allowed to work, did not have a voice, or be independent. “…which made me wonder why on earth it was that so many men, both clerks, and others, have said and continue to say and write such awful, demining things about women and their ways” (Pizan 783).

She understands the challenges of women living in the 14^th century. She wants to show other women achievements throughout history to bake the stereotypical outlook about them. “…who all seem to speak with one voice and are unanimous in their view that female nature is wholly given up to vice” ( Pizan 783).

Pizan is defending women’s capabilities and virtues to motivate women in order to learn from them. In her first part of the book, she introduces to us the three Virtues- Reason, Rectitude, and Justice. Christine tells stories of 11 ladies of politics and military accomplishments, 18 ladies of learning, and 4 ladies of prudence. In the second part of the book, Pizan talks about ladies who exemplify virtuous conduct, and in the third section, she includes discussions of various holy women.

Christine constructed an ethical guideline using examples of all those powerful women from history to show the importance of female contributions in culture and society. “… futures women who ruled cities and empires, including Dido of Carthage and Semiramis of Babylon” (Pizan 782).  Pizan wants women of her time and any woman in the future to navigate her life to be successful in man’s world.

We can learn from Augustine the importance of the real relationship with God and the necessity of the Church. Augustine was living in times when the world was becoming Christian. He became one of them after he realized he had no other hope and trust then in Jesus Christ. He learned to be a good Christian by being united with God as an individual in tradition, to have faith in him. He believed to be close to God you must have a conversation between two spirits and belong to the church.

We should establish a right relationship with God then everything even the bad things will be forgiven. Augustine was saying about love to God cannot exist on its own because is not a thing.  God can not be love unless there is something for him to love.  If we are to love ourselves, our neighbors, God we have to stick together like our minds possess memory, the intellect cannot be separated like evidence of our Creator and his creation. As well we can learn about the purpose of the Universe, why God created Adam and Eva, we can be confused but we can be confident that there is a purpose in God’s plan that will be revealed one day to us.

As a Christian’s we walk through our personal lives in a journey by faith. Augustine believed the relationship with God is not just seating and let the events happen but living own lives and including him in it on day to day basis.  Until today in Christianity we use the doctrine from the day you born to your death; every moment belongs to God, even if we are not believers.