Michel de Montaigne was a French nobleman who, after years in public life, withdrew to his tower to read and write. He created a new genre, the essay, in which he examined himself and human customs with frankness and humor. He lived through the wars of religion and defended tolerance and doubt in the face of certainties.
Core ideas
Our knowledge is limited and uncertain, and we should doubt our certainties
Customs vary among peoples, and what we call barbarian is just the different
Knowing yourself is the path to living well and with moderation
The tradition: Humanist skeptic
A humanist skeptic joins the doubt of the ancient skeptics with the Renaissance interest in the human being. Montaigne applies the suspension of judgment to the observation of himself and of customs.
