Month: May 2020

In “Of the Inconsistency of Our Actions,” Montaigne points out the difference between their behavior and action.  The philosophies he proposed may not be surprising in today’s view. But the philosophy of 500 years ago can also resonate with today’s thinking, which is a rare thing. Here is an example of how we contradict ourselves, “even good authors are wrong to insist on fashioning a consistent and solid fabric out of us. They choose on general characteristic, and go and arrange and interpret all a man actions to fit their picture; and if they cannot twist them enough, they go and set them down to dissimulation”. (page 363) We can judge people by our own opinions. Therefore, I agree with Montaigne that people are inconsistent with their actions and behaviors.

Montaigne’s essay “Of the Inconsistency of Our Actions” talks about how humans’ behaviors and actions are inconsistent. Not only do people change and grow every day, but the environment and situations that people are in are also different every day. “a sound intellect will refuse to judge men simply by their outward actions; we must probe the inside and discover what springs set men in motion. But since this is an arduous and hazardous undertaking, I wish fewer people would meddle with it”. We should not judge people just base on what they do unless we understand the intention and motivation for their actions.

Who could ever deserve more praise than she who led men, who were no better than savage primitives, out of the woods where they were roaming like wild beasts without any laws, and instead took them to dwell in towns and cities and taught them how to live a law-abiding existence? (802)

Pizan illustrates how women were very instrumental. Even though men enjoyed demeaning women, they would not be on earth if it weren’t for the female sex. Not only did their mothers raise and nurse them, many women like their mothers were innovators and liberators of history. They were the ones who partook in the shaping of the world’s entire existence.

Women were not only there to procreate and support men emotionally, they did a bigger part by showing men how to survive. Women taught men basic survival skills such as making woolen clothing and growing their own food to feed themselves better. They “invented carts and chariots to relieve men of the burden of carrying their possessions”(802), they created better armory for battles. Most importantly women used their intuition and wisdom to create numbers, language and laws. That way men would be allowed grow and communicate better with the rest of the world.

During the time of courtly love writers were very modest with their expressions. Love was not portrayed as social, and usually kept in private. Women also  kept to themselves, and  men had to pursue a woman. Women barely voiced their opinions. Louise Labé was a renegade in this area of writing and exposing her emotions not only for many to see, but she had it written in her sonnets. Women were not accustomed to  publish or write much in her time, thus making her break the norms. Love was also expressed from a man’s perspective and Miss. Labé described love from a female gaze instead. She did break norms and was captivating while doing it “Kiss me, kiss me again, and then kiss; grant me one of your most glorious, grant me one of your most amorous: I’ll return you four, as hot as this. Alas!” (6) 

With her expressive and glorious writing she marked and brought change in society. She was still part of the courtly love, since she mainly spoke about her tormented love being from a distance. So she in a way still practiced this distant love, which were the codes set for courtly love.