Legitimacy and Resistance: What Happened in Montaigne’s Library and Why Should Philosophers Care?
FYSEMR 48K
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Political Legitimacy and Resistance: What Happened in Montaigne’s Library on the Night of October 23, 1587, and Why Should Political Philosophers Care?
After Henri of Navarre’s brilliant defeat of a Catholic army at the Battle of Coutras, the presumptive but contested Protestant heir to the French throne spent the night at the chateau of Michel de Montaigne, the great essayist and political advisor. Navarre then baffled expectations by not pressing his military advantage—he instead journeyed to visit Corisande, his mistress and Montaigne’s friend—even though the resistance theory of Navarre’s closest advisor, Philippe du Plessis-Mornay, would have justified a decisive campaign. By withdrawing his army from the field and not further challenging the authority of his cousin, Henri III, Navarre failed to end the Eighth War of Religion but may thereby have won his crown as Henri IV.
Did Montaigne persuade Navarre to withdraw? What was his argument? Was Mornay with Navarre and Montaigne that night? What would Mornay have argued? We will learn about the theories of political legitimacy and justified resistance to authority developed by the persecuted Protestants of the day and trace the influence of their ideas about political obligation and religious conscience on some of the major figures in modern political philosophy, from Thomas Hobbes to Immanuel Kant. Students should be prepared to engage both in historical detective work and philosophical reflection.
Note: All required reading will be in English.
Class Notes
First-Year Seminars are available only to first-year students. You may apply to both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 First-Year Seminars via the FYS lottery between July 6 and August 6, 2026 at 11:59PM-midnight.
You may apply to as many seminars each term as you would like, but we recommend you apply to at least six in fall and three in spring.
As part of your application, you must provide a brief statement on why you are interested in each seminar. You will be notified of lottery results for both fall and spring seminars at 5 pm on August 11. If you are unsuccessful in the lottery, you may still join any seminar with open seats. A list of open seminars and instructions on next steps will be available on the First-Year Seminar Program website August 11 at 12 Noon.
Not Available for Cross Registration
