Three conversations explore Montaigne’s Essays through self-portraiture, mortality and encounters with unfamiliar societies. Begin with the changing self, move to judgement and ordinary life, then consider custom, cruelty and conquest.
Three episodes · Listen in order
Durations below are for the Buzzsprout audio recordings (minutes:seconds). Video runtimes may differ.
1. Why Did Montaigne Make Himself His Subject?
Audio: 17:23
Education, friendship, the tower library and the changing self of the Essays.
Listen to episode 1 · Watch episode 1
Episode notes and readings · Read the companion essay · Join the discussion
2. How Should We Learn to Live and Die?
Audio: 14:34
Death, pleasure, education and the exercise of judgement.
Listen to episode 2 · Watch episode 2
Episode notes and readings · Read the companion essay · Join the discussion
3. Who Gets to Call Others Barbarous?
Audio: 17:34
Custom, cruelty and European conquest in Of Cannibals, Of Cruelty and Of Coaches.
Listen to episode 3 · Watch episode 3
Episode notes and readings · Read the companion essay · Join the discussion
Continue exploring
The companion essays develop the arguments at The Intellectual Historian. The Reading Club welcomes short responses to a passage or question; you do not need to finish the whole series to contribute.
