Writing Cogito: Montaigne, Descartes, and the Institution of the Modern Subject

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Exploring the interplay between literature and philosophy at the dawn of modernity, Melehy analyzes the contributions of Michel de Montaigne and Rene Descartes to the understanding of the human subject. Montaigne's writing reveals the fluidity of subjective experience, while Descartes seeks certainty through the cogito, yet remains reliant on literary techniques he attempts to dismiss. This examination highlights the complex relationship between language and thought, as well as the foundational questions surrounding identity and expression in contemporary discourse.