The Question of the Animal and Self-Government. Montaigne, Descartes and Derrida

  • Joan Lluís Llinàs Universitat de les Illes Balears (España)
Keywords: Descartes, Montaigne, Derrida, animals, human being, self-government.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the positions of Montaigne and Descartes in relation to the question of the animal. To do this, I begin by characterizing Derrida's position on the subject, who considers Montaigne and Descartes as two opposing positions on the subject. Then, I analyse the positions of Montaigne and Descartes by means of a commentary on texts by both authors, while I try to explain the Cartesian turn on the animal question with respect to Montaigne. Finally, I argue that Derrida's approach, beyond emphasizing the problem of the animal from the point of view of the Western tradition, inherits the dispute between Montaigne and Descartes. He stressed not so much animal dignity as the peculiarity of man. Moreover, this peculiarity must be demonstrated in order to make self-government possible in a world which is not incomprehensible (like that of Montaigne), but explicable by laws that seem to make human freedom impossible.

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Published
2017-12-13
How to Cite
Llinàs J. L. (2017). The Question of the Animal and Self-Government. Montaigne, Descartes and Derrida. Ingenium. Revista Electrónica de Pensamiento Moderno y Metodología en Historia de las Ideas, 11, 87-102. https://doi.org/10.5209/INGE.58327
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Articles