When I play with my cat, who knows whether she is not amusing herself with me more than I with her.
To judge the appearances we receive of things, we should need a judicatory instrument; to verify this instrument, we should need a demonstration; to rectify this demonstration, we should need an instrument: so here we are arguing in a circle. Seeing the senses cannot decide our dispute, being themselves full of uncertainty, we must have recourse to Reason; there is no reason but must be built upon another reason, so here we are retreating backwards to all eternity.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, "Apology for Raimund Sebond"
The birth of all things is weak and tender; and therefore we should have our eyes intent on beginnings.
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE, Essays
