About
Étienne de La Boétie (1530-1563) was a French humanist, poet, and magistrate. Born in Sarlat, he became a counselor at the Parliament of Bordeaux in 1554. He is famous for his friendship with Montaigne and for his major work, the Discourse on Voluntary Servitude, written around age 22, in which he analyzes the voluntary submission of peoples to tyranny. He translated Xenophon and Plutarch and composed sonnets. Associated with the Pléiade, he advocated religious tolerance during the Wars of Religion.
* 1530-11-01 — † 1563-08-18
Major works
- Discours de la servitude volontaire (1576)political essay
- Sonnetpoetry
- Traduction de l'Économique de Xénophontranslation
Key milestones
- 1553Earned his law degree from the University of Orléans.
- 1554Appointed counselor at the Parliament of Bordeaux.
- 1557Met Michel de Montaigne at the Parliament of Bordeaux, beginning a legendary friendship.
Themes
Liberty and tyrannyCivil disobedienceFriendshipHumanismReligious tolerance
Sources: oxfordreference.com · oll.libertyfund.org