Abstract
In his essay “On the paternal affection for children” Montaigne (himself a father and a magistrate greatly experienced in succession cases) proposes a critical revision of the topos of the relations between parents and children. The analysis we submit here starts with the letter to the Countess, first nucleus of the essay. We then try to show how the argumentation proceeds, from the value of maternal love to that producing forth a literary/philosophical work, with paternal love as the intermediary link. The negotiation of values comes to an end when the monological discourse of the essay is substituted for the dialogical discourse of the correspondence: the address is obliterated, and the essay offers a new definition of fatherhood.
| Translated title of the contribution | From Biological to Literary Paternity: The Stages of an Argumentation in Montaigne |
|---|---|
| Original language | French |
| Journal | Argumentation et Analyse du Discours |
| Volume | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- Biological Paternity
- Essais (Montaigne)
- Misogyny
- Natural Law
- Spiritual Paternity
