Philosophy/Religion This passage is adapted from Michel de Montaigne’s “The Art of Conversation” in Essays of Montaigne, first published in 1580 and translated here by Charles Cotton. When anyone contradicts me, he raises my attention, not my anger. I advance towards him who controverts, who instructs me. The cause of truth ought to be the common cause both of the one and the other. What will the angry man answer? Passion has already [41] confounded his judgment, agitation has usurped the place of reason.
I hail and caress truth wherever I find it, and cheerfully surrender myself, and open my [42] conquer arms as far off as I can discover it. [43] I take pleasure in being reproved, provided it is not done too imperiously, and then accommodate myself to my accusers. This I do more by reason of civility than amendment, loving to nourish the liberty of admonition by submitting to it, even at my own expense.
Nevertheless, the men of my time have not the courage to correct, [44] yet they have not the courage to suffer themselves to be corrected. I take a great pleasure in being judged and known. It is almost indifferent to me in which of the two forms I am so. That Socrates always smilingly received the contradictions offered to his arguments, a man may say arose from his strength of reason.
We see on the contrary that nothing makes our feelings so delicate as the disdain of the adversary. In reason, it is for the weaker to take in good part the oppositions that correct him and set him right. [45] Can’t you see that I would rather choose the company of those who ruffle me than those who fear me? It is a dull pleasure to have to do with people who admire us and approve of all we say. Antisthenes commanded his children never to take it kindly or for a favor, when any man [46] commanded them.
I find I am much prouder of the victory I obtain over myself, when, in the very ardor of dispute, I make myself submit to my adversary’s force of reason, than I am pleased with the victory I obtain over him through his [47] solid reasoning.
Our disputes ought to be punished as well as other verbal crimes: what vice do they not raise and heap up, being always governed and commanded by passion? We first quarrel [48] their reasons, and then with the men. We only learn to dispute that we may contradict. And so, every one contradicting and being contradicted, it falls out that the fruit of disputation is to lose and annihilate truth.
Therefore it is that Plato in his Republic prohibits this exercise to fools. To what end do you go about to inquire of him, who knows nothing to the purpose? A man does no injury to the subject when he leaves it to seek how he may treat it. I do not mean by an artificial and scholastic way but by a natural one, with a sound understanding.
What will it be in the end? One is no longer sensible of what is said in opposition to him and thinks only of going on at his own rate, not of answering you. Another, finding himself [49] to weak to make good his rest, confounds the subject. Or, in the very height of the dispute, he stops short and is silent, by a peevish ignorance affecting a proud contempt or a foolishly modest avoidance of further debate. Another only brawls and uses the advantage of his lungs. Here’s one who deafens you with prefaces and senseless digressions. And a last man [50] saw nothing into the reason of the thing, but draws a line about you of dialectic clauses.
This passage has been excerpted and adapted from the original, including minor punctuation changes, spelling changes, and other modifications that have not substantially changed content or intent. confounded his judgment, agitation has usurped the Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) confounded his judgment; agitation has usurped the C) confounded, his judgment agitation has usurped, the D) confounded his judgment agitation has usurped the conquer arms Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) conquer arming C) conquered arms D) unconquerable arms Which of the following choices represents the clearest and most concise way to convey all of the information in the sentence?
I take pleasure in being reproved, provided it is not done too imperiously, and then accommodate myself to my accusers. Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) I take pleasure in being reproved and then accommodating myself to my accusers, provided it is not done too imperiously. C) I take pleasure in being reproved and then accommodating myself to my accusers, not too imperiously. D) I take pleasure in being reproved and then accommodating myself to my accusers. yet Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) before C) because D) notwithstanding Which of the following choices best matches the tone of the passage?
Can’t you see that I would rather choose the company of those who ruffle me than those who fear me? Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) It’s pretty clear that I’d want to hang out with those who ruffle me and not those who fear me. C) I’d much prefer to spend my time with people who ruffle me than people who are scared of me, wouldn’t you? D) In earnest, I would rather choose the company of those who ruffle me than those who fear me. commanded Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) commenced C) commemorated D) commended solid reasoning Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) weakness C) careful listening D) equanimity their reasons, and then with the men. Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) with their reasons, and then with the men. C) with their reasons, and then men. D) their reasons, and then the men. to Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) two C) too D) toe saw Not Answered A) NO CHANGE B) sees C) had seen D) will see
Here are the answers to the questions based on the passage from Michel de Montaigne’s “The Art of Conversation”:
confounded his judgment, agitation has usurped the
conquer arms
I take pleasure in being reproved, provided it is not done too imperiously, and then accommodate myself to my accusers.
yet
Can’t you see that I would rather choose the company of those who ruffle me than those who fear me?
commanded
solid reasoning
their reasons, and then with the men.
to
saw
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