Essays by Michel de Montaigne

Introduction

"I am myself the matter of my book." Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) retired from public life at 38 and began writing—not treatises or memoirs, but essais: attempts to capture the movement of his own mind. The result was a new literary form and a new way of being human. Montaigne wrote about thumbs, cannibals, sleep, fear, friendship, and the last words of Socrates—all filtered through a consciousness of extraordinary honesty and charm.

The Wisdom of Uncertainty

Montaigne's motto was "Que sais-je?"—What do I know? His answer: very little, and that is liberating. He doubted everything, including his own doubts. He believed that the surest sign of wisdom was cheerful uncertainty. In an age of religious wars, he preached tolerance; in an age of colonial conquest, he argued that "barbarians" were no more savage than Europeans. His influence extends through Shakespeare, Pascal, Nietzsche, and every writer who has tried to think honestly.

Key Takeaways

• The self is the only subject we truly know
• Doubt is more honest than certainty
• The essay is the form of freedom