Dear Readers,

Is it just me, or is anyone else skeptical? What in the world did we talk about in class today?

"Some oranges are fruit...oh wait all oranges are fruit...but not all fruits are oranges." - Mr. Yarnall

Um okay.

and on that note:

Let's talk about Montaigne & On Cannibals.

What is Montaigne's point?- Natives were not corrupt until European influence reached them. 
Was Montaigne pro-natives or anti-Europeans?- Montaigne seemed to be pro-natives & anti-European actions (in discoverers' unfair treatment of natives).
How does this tie into the context of the time (the Age of Exploration)?- Montaigne suggested that Europeans should respect New World natives & that Europe must recognize the fact that although explorative zeal was progressive & a good step towards the future, unfair practices/treatment of natives was unjust & unnecessary. Montaigne believed that European discoverers should learn from the natives & recognize their innocence, rather than oppress & enslave them simply to extract their land's resources. He condemned the ancient nobility for being more concerned with war & sports than with the cultivation of the mind. Montaigne's tolerant mind rejected the notion that one culture is superior to another.
Is skepticism anti-science?- no! Montaigne was anti-dogmatism, or against the professing of truths that had no factual basis or proof. Although a skeptic himself, Montaigne was pro-science. He believed that the object of life was to "know thyself". Montaigne's essays provide insight into the mind of a remarkably civilized man.

When you realize you just ate your brother.

"If it ain't baroque, don't fix it."

When Emilia realized "baroque" is not spelled "baruch".

What was the "baroque"?- the term "baroque" was commonly used by late-18th century art critics for what they considered to be an overblown, unbalanced style of art, music, & literature.
How does this period compare to the Renaissance?- Relative to the Renaissance, the baroque was certainly more emotional & flamboyant. In the early development of the baroque, scholars stressed the influence of Rome & the revitalized Catholic Church of the later 16th century. Patrons of the arts wanted artists to go beyond the Renaissance focus on pleasing a small, wealthy, cultural elite.
How does Shakespeare tie into this period?- The immortal dramas of William Shakespeare & the stately prose of the Authorized or King James Bible marked the Elizabethan & Jacobean periods as the Golden Age of English Literature. Shakespeare was a Renaissance man in his deep appreciation for classical culture, individualism, & humanism. Hamlet's cry of "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so" expresses the anguish & uncertainty that modern life would bring.

"Is that true? Does wood float?"
Yes, Emilia, yes.

Me after I finished this post.

xoxo,
Nicole Flo :)