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Michel de Montaigne’s literary appreciation and criticism
Due to their heterogeneous subjects, the essays of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) cannot be easily summarised in quotes and one-liners. Nevertheless, I am going to present here the quotes that I consider most relevant for conveying Montaigne’s key messages. Montaigne’s essays constitute the output of twenty years of quiet labour. Amidst religious wars, political strife,…
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Michel de Montaigne: how reading enhances self-reliance
Details and explanations are worthless to people who lack understanding. Philosophy is inaccessible to individuals devoid of curiosity. Personal growth cannot be cultivated in apathetic, barren soil. Before quitting his job and retiring to live in the countryside, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) had witnessed outrageous displays of prejudice and irrationality. Widespread violence had driven him…
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Michel de Montaigne and the importance of reading
There cannot be complex thinking without reading. Ancient Greek philosophers established the basis of civilization in great part because of their ability to write cogently and build on the knowledge accumulated by their predecessors. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) spent thousands of hours reading, especially works by authors from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. He read…
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Critique of Michel de Montaigne’s method for pursuing knowledge
I know when to reject a proposal without having to assess its validity in detail: there is no reason to waste time investigating a proposal made by confused people. In those cases, I’ll say no right away because I expect the offer to be counterproductive. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) devoted substantial time and effort to…
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Michel de Montaigne and the pursuit of knowledge
I agree with Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) that most of what we learn is of questionable accuracy. He preached by example because, for twenty years, he wrote haphazard essays on disorganised, sometimes obscure, subjects. Allegedly, he was looking for wisdom, but in practice, his doubts grew increasingly larger. Practical knowledge is great if you can…
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Michel de Montaigne’s literary works and themes
For twenty years, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) spent a good part of his days writing his essays. He made no planning, organisation, or outline of the whole. Instead, he let his works grow organically and spontaneously. Eventually, he compiled his essays in volumes ready for publication. Montaigne’s literary themes have been identified by critics, not…
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Michel de Montaigne and happiness
To a great extent, happiness is the result of good philosophy accompanied by good implementation. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) wrote essays for two decades with the sole goal of clarifying the path to happiness. He wanted to build himself a philosophy and a lifestyle conducive to happiness. What lessons did Montaigne learn during his two…
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Michel de Montaigne’s advice on self-discipline
There is very little benefit in telling people to do something without telling them how. I mean without telling them exactly how. Clear and precise instructions are the prerequisite of good implementation. Without those, success will depend on luck or serendipity. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was aware that morality and happiness depend on self-discipline. Nonetheless,…
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Michel de Montaigne and self-discipline
Life would be much easier if we could reduce ethics to just one concept. Would it not be great if we could make decisions and implementation plans that always hit the target? Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) took upon himself the task of reducing ethics to one concept, and he succeeded pretty well. Montaigne believed that…
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Controversy in Michel de Montaigne’s wisdom
Wisdom without controversy is soon forgotten, in the same way as one forgets unused knowledge, unused spare parts, and unused train tickets. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) made a conscious decision to use controversy in his essays, precisely because he wanted the lessons to be learned and not forgotten. Besides, Montaigne found it much more interesting…
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