The cannibals: a reading from Machiavelli and Montaigne

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the thread that connects Nicolas Machiavelli and Michel de Montaigne through the presence of cannibals. Why the cannibals? The cannibals are the archetype in which "the other", "the barbarian", "the wild", "the uncivilized" and "the little enlightened" are built. In the way in which Machiavelli and Montaigne thematize this figure, it is possible to elucidate how these authors understand political relations. In this sense, the article is divided into four parts: in the first, the introduction to the subject is presented and the specialized literature is briefly addressed; In the second part, the thematization made by both Montaigne and Machiavelli about the force that customs exert on men is analyzed; Once this is done, the figure of cannibals in both authors is analyzed in the third part; Finally, the conclusions of the research work carried out are presented.