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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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Aristotle: Michel de Montaigne and classical philosophy
Despite his extensive study of classical philosophy, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) paid relatively little attention to Aristotle. He quoted Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Plato and […]
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Cicero: Michel de Montaigne and classical philosophy
When Michel de Montaigne referred to classical philosophy in his “Essays,” his goal was to illustrate a particular point or give credibility to a certain […]
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Stoicism: Michel de Montaigne and classical philosophy
Together with scepticism and hedonism, stoicism exerted a strong influence on Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). About one third of his “Essays” convey the doctrines of […]
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Recent Posts
- Michel de Montaigne on the limits to self-discovery and self-expression
- Michel de Montaigne on self-discovery and self-expression
- Asceticism and Michel de Montaigne’s literary authenticity
- Asymmetry in Michel de Montaigne’s literary authenticity
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