Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) was a major Renaissance thinker and the originator of a new philosophical form: the essay. In the Essays, a singular work constantly revised throughout his life, Montaigne investigates human experience through himself—not out of self-absorption, but because he believed that careful self-examination offers a direct path to understanding the human condition. His thought is marked by doubt, skepticism toward dogmatic certainty, and sustained attention to the plurality of perspectives. Deeply influenced by ancient skepticism, particularly Sextus Empiricus, he elevated suspension of judgment, tolerance, and intellectual moderation to central philosophical virtues. For Montaigne, philosophy is not a system of doctrines but a way of living: learning to judge wisely, to accept human finitude, and to inhabit the world with humanity.