An Argument In Montaigne's Of Cannibals

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Montaigne: An Expert in Argument Montaigne’s “Of Cannibals” uses a myriad of thoughts and facts to teach the audience a moral lesson and pass along the narrator’s perception of the current Western Worlds trends. Montaigne writes his essay in such a way that the context is still relevant in society hundreds of years later. The allegory and use of prominent Western writers of literature provided the basis of his argument, that love and valor, are in simplest forms, the common denominator amongst all people, which would create a good society. Montaigne succeeds in gaining the attention of the reader by using many different manipulative techniques. Whether the reader finished the essay and finds themselves aligned with his position is one thing; the fact that Montaigne is able to create a forum for discussion and debate following his essay, even hundreds of years later, is a fact and certainly worth discussing, as his modes for delivering his position are genius. “…In the Essays one finds a…show more content…
In his essay “Of Cannibals” Montaigne tells his own tale towards the middle of the essay. The story, being second hand from “ignorant fellow, and therefore the more likely to tell the truth”, connects with the audience in two ways. First, it demonstrates Montaigne's view that most men are not concerned with their own true observations, but exaggerate the truth in small ways to make a story more interesting, and thus themselves more interesting. Being that the story comes someone not of this degree, the story becomes more valid. Second, Montaigne argues that ignorant people have more to offer to the society and are more honorable and therefore respectable as they are more likely to tell the truth and relate their own observations and experiences as they actually are, with no reason to exaggerate
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