Nature versus Technology in Michel Montaigne's 'On Cannibalism'

Nature versus Technology in Michel Montaigne's 'On Cannibalism'

The ideas expressed in Michel Montaigne's 'On Cannibalism'

are still greatly valid in today's society. Technology has made

life easier, and as the saying goes, 'The more you have, the more

you'll want.' We are a fast-paced society that does not give much

thought to the world around us. Not only do we not seem to notice

the beauty of nature, but we have started destroying it without a

second thought.

I am living in a society that does not place great emphasis

on the marvelous works of nature. Until very recently, I had

never seen the sun rise. I have become accustomed to waking each

morning to the sound of the alarm clock, turning on the

television to find out the weather, and getting dressed in my

air-conditioned, electrically lit house. There is absolutely no

need to step outside and feel the temperature, or to raise the

blinds for light. By the time I leave my house to rush to my car,

the sun is already up and shining.

People may say that isn't such a bad thing. They rather

enjoy the comforts that technology offers. I mean, what good

would it do to get up early just to sit on the porch and watch

the sky turn colors? I have found that at this particular time,

when the sky transforms to the most brilliant shades of pink and

purple and melding into radiant hues of orange, peace and

inspiration seem to flood through me. It's during the early hours

of the morning that I can get true perspective of exactly how

small we all are. No matter how technologically advanced we ever

get, we can never match the wonders of a sunrise. That is

something we can't imitate or change. It's beyond all our

understanding and reason.

It used to be that children were content playing outdoors,

enjoying nature the way it was intended. But as times have gotten

more technologically advanced, all they want is the newest

playstation game or the fastest remote-control car. No one is

satisfied with simple things anymore. It is considered

inconvenient to have to do anything for yourself or without some

gadget.

Our society has become so dependent on technology, we would

probably be unable to function without it now. Not all that long

ago, when my mom was a little girl, she didn't have all the

modern technology we now have. She had to rise in the morning

with the sun, walk to school, and let the wind cool her house.

This now seems like an unbearable situation, but she does have a