Why does Montaigne change so many definition of words Essay

Why does Montaigne change so many definition of words - Essay Example arbitrary, and people define concepts, according to their views of truth and reason, without considering the existence and validity of other truths and reasons. While people define â€Å"bodies† in the physical sense, they stress its sacredness, which is why they think that people who eat human flesh are â€Å"barbarians,† but Montaigne disagrees with the idealization of the human body, when it can serve many immoral purposes. He reminds his readers that â€Å"bodies† are not exactly detached from the act of being consumed or used in other corrupt ways. He provides examples of ancestors who ate the bodies of people who were â€Å"incapable of fighting† (114). This means that able bodies trump weaker ones, even if they both have bodies. People in power define â€Å"bodies† as they see fit, and the morality of doing so becomes blurred in different circumstances and cultures. â€Å"Barbarian† is another word with contested meanings. Montaigne defines â€Å"barbarous† as a concept coined by a society that looks down on a pure society, and if the latter are described as â€Å"wild,† they are wild because they are pure. He denigrates that people call something â€Å"barbarous,† simply because they are â€Å"contrary† to their â€Å"habits† (108). If these barbarians are considered â€Å"wild,† for him, they are wild in a good way. They are wild because â€Å"the true, the most useful, and natural virtues and properties are alive and vigorous† (Montaigne 109). Instead of seeing â€Å"wild† as the opposite of civilized, Montaigne argues that it is a civilization on its own that is not inferior to Western society. To be barbaric is related to â€Å"victory† and its many hued definitions. Montaigne describes â€Å"victory† as aligned to the simple desire of controlling people’s emotions. For the â€Å"barbarians,† â€Å"victory† happens when they have broken the spirit of their prisoners, until the latter beg for their lives (115). Montaigne differentiates this from the â€Å"victory† of