Montaigne’s Essays, Study Abroad and Intercultural Learning: A Critical Examination

Abstract

In the late sixteenth century, the aging French thinker Michel de Montaigne wrote more than one hundred essays on a wide variety of topics ranging from classical literature and history, the human imagination, sickness and recovery, and the cultural encounter between the New and Old Worlds. Whereas Montaigne’s Essays are frequently studied in classical and literary courses, they are less commonly included in intercultural learning and study abroad curricula despite the interesting connections between them. As such, this article examines the relevance of his Essays for intercultural learning in the context of international education. To what extent do Montaigne’s ideas about self-awareness, self-examination and cultural relativism serve as pedagogical tools for promoting intercultural competency today? How did the encounter between the so-called New and Old Worlds shape Montaigne’s thinking about cultural differences? What are the limitations of Montaigne’s ideas about cultural relativism, suspending judgment and frameshifting, and how do they relate to intercultural learning in the context of study abroad?