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The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

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Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#41

Post by afpx »

benreesman wrote: post #12

Monsieur de Montaigne’s observations are highly above the average as concerns wealthy people advising everyone what to do with a nobleman’s time and resources. As a new magistrate or nobleman it’s a decent place to start winding up with something better than a Tesla and a Substack advising people how to inherit a monopoly. But for us plebs, it’s about as compelling as any other bunch of dandies on a tennis court.

I’m almost done with Book 1, and so far at least 85% applies to anyone:

don't be idle, don't lie, don't make hasty decisions, build up your willpower, be courageous, be present, do what you say you will do, challenge customs (because people tend to choose custom over reason), learn through experience, be present, life is a delicate balance, and about 50 more

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#42

Post by benreesman »

aubanel wrote: post #39
benreesman wrote: post #12

Monsieur de Montaigne’s observations are highly above the average as concerns wealthy people advising everyone what to do with a nobleman’s time and resources. As a new magistrate or nobleman it’s a decent place to start winding up with something better than a Tesla and a Substack advising people how to inherit a monopoly. But for us plebs, it’s about as compelling as any other bunch of dandies on a tennis court.

Hard disagree. His thoughts are so rich and varied that it's harsh to classify them under "blogs for wealthy people". He speaks about death, self worth, many other things that speak to anyone.

I myself said that de Montaigne is pretty good stuff as this sort of thing goes.

But the kind of agency attached to being quasi-Royal wealthy in the mid-sixteenth century France is not terribly useful to anyone under crushing debt peonage then, nor it’s resurgent beginning comeback now.

For truly catholic stoicism there are better sources. If I want to hear someone talk about inner will from atop a mountain I’ll go all the way back to Marcus Aurelius.

It’s good to see that Randian Objectivists are diversifying out of such a shitty brand, but it’s all boomers and their bootstraps to me, and I’ve read fucking ALL of it. Twice.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#43

Post by benreesman »

afpx wrote: post #41
benreesman wrote: post #12

Monsieur de Montaigne’s observations are highly above the average as concerns wealthy people advising everyone what to do with a nobleman’s time and resources. As a new magistrate or nobleman it’s a decent place to start winding up with something better than a Tesla and a Substack advising people how to inherit a monopoly. But for us plebs, it’s about as compelling as any other bunch of dandies on a tennis court.

I’m almost done with Book 1, and so far at least 85% applies to anyone: don't be idle, don't lie, don't make hasty decisions, build up your willpower, be courageous, be present, do what you say you will do, challenge customs (because people tend to choose custom over reason), learn through experience, be present, life is a delicate balance, and about 50 more

It’s a lot of very bright folks on HN, and very well read.

But this stuff at this stage of the game is somewhere between propaganda and Stockholm’s Syndrome.

Hackers have never been paid less, or had worse job security, or been more subject to being fucked with than in decades.

Getting funding or traction or press or customers has never been more insular and nepotistic and corrupt and numb in decades.

There is a season for de Montaigne and there is a season for Thomas Paine.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#44

Post by mkoubaa »

octed wrote: post #3
seizethecheese wrote: post #2

Okay I’ll bite. The essay on raising children piqued my interest. The first two paragraphs: > I never yet saw that father, but let his son be never so decrepit or deformed, would not, notwithstanding, own him: not, nevertheless, if he were not totally besotted, and blinded with his paternal affection, that he did not well enough discern his defects: but that with all defaults, he was still his. Just so, I see better…

The author of the website has mentioned that > I am slowly replacing the Cotton/Hazlitt translation with a contemporary one and adding new notes So I would assume that the essay you're talking about is from the earlier Cotton translation and has still not been replaced. This is the first time I've seen AI being used to "modernize" old texts, and it works wonderfully in this case; though a bit of the old-timey charm i…

Old timey charm is overrated. I want to get to the point.

The use of AI here is really cool and I hope to see it applied to other older tomes

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#45

Post by p3rls »

kergonath wrote: post #30
phtrivier wrote: post #17

Great effort ! The most striking things to me when I started reading the Essays, is how much it reads like... A blog. Variety of topics, general consistency of theme, a tone that is surprisingly conversationnal... And the bombardment of references, in jokes, quotes, etc... that you use to create connivence with your reader. Also, in the end, if you were asked what Montaigne was famous for, what he actually did, _beyo…

> The most striking things to me when I started reading the Essays, is how much it reads like... A blog. This is somewhat deceptive. The Essais were very personal, but not spontaneous at all. He spent a lot of time polishing them and rewriting them right until he died. Just like Rabelais, the apparent casual tone of the language is actually quite a lot of work. In comparison, blog posts are quick to post and then jus…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprezzatura was all the rage in the 16th century

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#46

Post by loughnane »

rramadass wrote: post #32
loughnane wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Donald frame translation is lovely. It’s a shame it’s not in the public domain.

Ask and ye shall receive ;-) https://archive.org/details/MontaigneCompleteFrame/mode/2up https://archive.org/stream/MontaigneCompleteFrame/Montaigne%...

is that public domain though?

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#47

Post by octed »

mkoubaa wrote: post #44
octed wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author of the website has mentioned that > I am slowly replacing the Cotton/Hazlitt translation with a contemporary one and adding new notes So I would assume that the essay you're talking about is from the earlier Cotton translation and has still not been replaced. This is the first time I've seen AI being used to "modernize" old texts, and it works wonderfully in this case; though a bit of the old-timey charm i…

Old timey charm is overrated. I want to get to the point. The use of AI here is really cool and I hope to see it applied to other older tomes

Unfortunately I still have a soft spot for beautiful writing. The "point" often sticks better when it is expressed eloquently. Having to think a little bit to get to the point also helps with absorbing it, at least in my experience.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#48

Post by draven »

edweis wrote: post #21
bloak wrote: post #16

A translation into modern French might be an interesting addition.

Here it is, 1907: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Essais/%C3%A9dition_Michaud,_... EDIT: my bad, this is not modern French

Looks like the left column is Middle French, the right one is the modern translation.

Re: The essays of Michel de Montaigne online

#50

Post by NemoNobody »

alldayhaterdude wrote: post #9
seizethecheese wrote: post #2

Okay I’ll bite. The essay on raising children piqued my interest. The first two paragraphs: > I never yet saw that father, but let his son be never so decrepit or deformed, would not, notwithstanding, own him: not, nevertheless, if he were not totally besotted, and blinded with his paternal affection, that he did not well enough discern his defects: but that with all defaults, he was still his. Just so, I see better…

I disagree. This sucks.

name checks out
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