Michel de Montaigne and humanism

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) is the archetypical writer from the Renaissance, the archetypical example of Humanism. Nowadays, his ideas are almost forgotten. They are no longer taught in today’s education system; the study of classical Greek and Roman history, philosophy and literature are no longer a priority. What is Humanism? The concept is related to “humanity” in the sense of ethical values, but it possesses a larger meaning. When we talk about Humanism, we mean classical learning, that is, the study of Greek and Roman antiquity. Montaigne devoted twenty years of his life to studying and writing about Greek and Roman antiquity with the objective of drawing practical lessons. He was looking for hands-on advice to solve his own problems, and drew inspiration from ancient sources. The subjects addressed by Montaigne in his “Essays” fall in multiple categories, namely, historical, social, health, military, family, relationships, and literary commentary. However, the underlying themes in most of Montaigne’s essays are success and happiness. Montaigne employed the Humanist approach in his essays, that is, a mixture of introspection, careful research of ancient sources, respect for individual liberty, and critical thinking. He quoted ancient authors to examine their ideas, not to follow them blindly. When it comes to the Humanist approach, Montaigne can be best compared to Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536). I prefer Montaigne because of his practical mentality. Erasmus had a larger erudition, but often got lost in theological criticism. Montaigne had a rather romantic view of ancient Greece and Rome. He knew in depth the works of Seneca (4-65 AD), Plutarch (46-120 AD) and Cicero (106-43 BC), but rarely took notice of the higher standard of living in the sixteenth century compared to antiquity. He also had a tendency to exaggerate the social and political problems in the sixteenth century compared to antiquity. For instance, Montaigne often complains about “the corruption of our age” without realising that corruption was equally high or higher in the times of Seneca, Plutarch, and Cicero. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/michel-de-montaigne-and-humanism/