Five centuries after the life of Michel de Montaigne, in our postmodern and post-Christian era, civility has deteriorated alarmingly through the deepening of cultural divisions. In What Happened to Civility? The Promise and Failure of Montaigne's Philosophy, Emory professor emeritus Ann Hartle investigates the invention of civility in the writings of the French Renaissance essayist. Hartle shows how this new social bond was intended to hold societies together in peace and encourage mutual respect, and how it failed.
