Human Identity In Of Cannibals By Montaigne
Throughout Of Cannibals, Montaigne describes how human knowledge, through a
false sense of cultural superiority, have not only shifted European definition of human
identity, but also how knowledge, through inventions, have disconnected European
society from nature. Cultural superiority, according to Montaigne, is derived from the
idea that there is no other level of truth and reason than the example and idea of the
opinions and customs of the place wherein we live. Lost in our biased perception of
nature and reality, Montaigne criticizes how Europeans view others, such as
cannibals, as inferior and nonhuman, accommodating them to the pleasure of our own
corrupted palate. Rather than trying to understand their cultural and ethnic
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Montaigne, throughout both Apology to Raymond Sebond and Of Cannibals, imply
that we have to be aware of our biases and perspectives, as our awareness is merely a
result of our perception of the truth. Despite Montaigne s repetition of the lack of,
such as the no manner of traffic, no knowledge of letters, no science of numbers . . .
no use of corn or wine, they also have no words that signify corruption and greed,
such as lying, treachery, dissimulation, avarice, envy, detraction, [and] pardon.
Compared to indigenous cultures, which lives in harmony with the laws of nature,
Montaigne criticizes how Europeans have corrupted nature through intermixing it
with corruption and greed, and thus, corrupting our interpretation of nature and
others. Furthermore, in order to emphasize the simplicity and purity of cannibals,
Montaigne analogizes them to the ancient Greeks, as all their inventions [feign] a
happy state of man, but moreover, the fancy and even the wish and desire of
philosophy itself. Thus, human knowledge and inventions, such as religion, not only
corrupts out interpretation of nature, but also, as a result, disconnects us from nature
itself. Since our interpretations are representations of nature, they are not equivalent
to nature and, as a result, not all interpretations are