INTS 407 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Michel De Montaigne, Human Nature, Hippopotamus
Document Summary
Translating, naming, classifying: jean de l ry was a french renaissance protestant who traveled to. Montaigne: cannibalism out of a sense of vengeance (prisoners from enemies) Worlds: translation in the text gives effect of exoticism but also trustworthiness. What is the effect for the listeners" attitudes towards the gods?: example: zeus = scythian equivalent, greek god names come first (shows greeks" idea of superiority) Naming involves mastery: in genesis: adam names god"s creatures and has authority over them, giving names and/or knowing names thus implies a measure of power. Names and the gods: names are images of things, names teach about things. The names of the gods teach of the gods: the names of the gods are a repertory of nouns that can be translated into the language of the other. To name is to classify: when a foreign god exists for whom there is no greek equivalent it demonstrates the otherness of the people.