In this essay, sorry, podcast, Neil Kenny, specialist in French literature and society in the 16th and 17th centuries opens us the period in which Montaigne composed his 'essais', first published in 1580, before talking about the man himself, including his education (he only spoke Latin for the first six years of his life - an educational experiment of his dad). Neil had suggested a number of chapters that might coincide with the notion of proto-psychology and Ken was especially excited by 'On practising' which includes a detailed account of a head injury and it's aftermath experienced shortly before his withdrawal from the world. After opening up that one to talk about his chapter 'On imagination' with surprising insights into mind-body interactions. After a number of examples we talk about cannibals, the instability of conclusions (I may not be the same person tomorrow) and the cognitive means by which the mind's workings may best be traced. To conclude this episode Neil reads a favourite passage from his chapter 'On repentance'. Great conversation about an extraordinary writer.
Participants:
Neil Kenny is professor of French at the University of Oxford and a research fellow of All Souls College https://www.asc.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-neil-kenny
Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/
More on Michel de Montaigne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_de_Montaigne
His Essays: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essays_(Montaigne)
'How to read Montaigne ' by Terrance Cave is a great introduction: https://granta.com/products/how-to-read-montaigne/:
Musical extract: Prelude from Act 1 of Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.
Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk
Instagram: #brainlandpodcast #brainlandcollective
Sketch by KB
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