More on the French and their Pretentious Preciosity and Lack of Rigor

Cyrus contributes,

Your correspondent, M. Boisson, writes:

The French used to be praised for their clarity of expression. They are now known for their pretentious preciosity and complete lack of rigor.

Could he please provide us with an example of a clear French philosopher other than the very impressive and exceptional M. Descartes? In fact, given his first sentence, I would like at least five or six such examples. (I would prefer a dozen.) Early French philosophy writing is heavily influenced by Montaigne, and Montaigne is hardly a paradigm of clarity and philosophical rigour. He also provides an early example of quasi-literature, quasi-philosophy. (He's clearer than Deleuze, but to say so in reply is to miss my point.)

 

Please keep in mind that I'm writing as someone fluent in French (i.e. natively bilingual) and familiar with the French philosophical tradition (including the impressive skeptical one that most Frenchmen have forgotten).

I don't see how anybody can blame the Germans* for lack of rigour in philosophy. Germany gave birth to the existentialist tradition, but it also gave birth to the analytic one. It can't fairly be blamed for the one without being complimented for the other. (Indeed, it gave birth to all the major contemporary philosophical traditions. Man spricht Deutsch.)

Best,

 

Cyrus

 

*I'm using "Germans" to refer to all people who are culturally German. (That is, from the area that used to be called the Holy Roman Empire of Germany.) So, Austrian, too.