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Michel de Montaigne and the art of introspection
Despite his practice of recounting anecdotes about himself, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) failed to learn much from introspection. In fact, he often misunderstood his own […]
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Michel de Montaigne and literary exploration
It is a myth that Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) had an extraordinary interest in literary exploration. Although he used many literary quotations, those are drawn […]
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Michel de Montaigne’s advice on personal growth
“Let us allow fortune to do her thing, and she will then give us the chance to do ours,” wrote Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) in […]
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Michel de Montaigne and the nature of personal growth
“The best human attribute is rising after every downfall,” wrote Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). Like no other author before the Renaissance, Montaigne devoted two decades […]
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Michel de Montaigne and political philosophy
I can summarize in three sentences the political philosophy of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). He outlined his political ideas in several essays, giving many historical […]
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Errors in Montaigne’s views on cultural identity
Despite his erudition and hard work, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) never grasped the need for an objective morality. I find in his essays a relentless […]
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Michel de Montaigne and cultural identity
In his essays, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), addresses frequently the subject of cultural identity. I can summarize his conclusions in two sentences. First, he acknowledges […]
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Michel de Montaigne and intellectual curiosity
When people nowadays speak about curiosity, they usually mean the open, random, wide-range interest in a multiplicity of subjects. They mean the curiosity of children […]
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Democritus and Heraclitus: Montaigne and humanistic ideas
When Renaissance authors undertook the study of antiquity, they had a practical purpose in mind. They expected to learn something useful from ancient history. Michel […]
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Michel de Montaigne and humanistic ideas
What we call “humanistic” nowadays has little to do with the work of humanists in the sixteenth century, such as Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). They […]
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