Michel De Montaigne

"The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself." The Essays of Montaigne are a collection of writings from the late 16th century. Montaigne's stated goal in his book is to describe man, and especially himself, with utter frankness and honesty. The essays are surprisingly, modern and have, served as foundational texts for much of Western philosophy and culture.

With the goal of describing man with complete frankness and using himself as his most frequent example, Michel de Montaigne first published his "Essays" in 1580. This collection of 107 chapters encompasses a wide variety of subjects, originally inspired by his study of Latin classics, and later by the lives of the leading figures of his time. Michel de Montaigne saw the most basic elements of man as variety and unpredictability, and this idea permeates...

Montaigne's „The Essays" is an unusual book, largely due to the author's attitude to it. This is an exclusively everyday book, suitable for everyday use, in which the author does not discuss how the world works and where everything goes, but discusses the essential: how to raise children, how to build a married life, how to spend leisure time, etc. At the same time, Montaigne does not have a very high opinion of himself, although he praises him...

One of France's great Renaissance thinkers, Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) invented the essay as a literary form. This compilation features the best of his brief, highly readable reflections on poetry, philosophy, theology, law, literature, education, and world exploration. Remarkably modern in their views, the essays continue to resonate with readers as their author bemoans his failing memory, criticizes his culture's obsession with celebrity, and...

De l'amitié est tiré des Essais de Montaigne, publiés en 1595, à titre posthume. C'est par l'introspection la plus honnête que l'auteur cherche à comprendre l'humanité, par le raisonnement mais aussi par la compréhension intime de ses propres émotions. L'amitié est une rencontre. Quand Montaigne raconte avec bonheur sa relation avec Estienne de La Boétie, le lecteur de son cté expérimente la rencontre avec un auteur, sincère et libre,...

Montaigne podría ser uno de los escritores más simpáticos que se hayan conocido. Es conocido por popularizar el ensayo como género literario; su estilo combina anécdotas casuales y autobiográficas con profundos conocimientos intelectuales. Sus ensayos se encuentran entre los más influyentes jamás escritos; se puede reconocer la influencia directa de Montaigne en las grandes figuras literarias de todo el mundo, desde René Descartes a Nietzsche,...

Here are some of the greatest essays in Western literature. Witty, informative and imaginative, the topics vary from starvation in Ireland, fine China, the extension of railways in the Lake District, and the tombs in Westminster Abbey.