3 Life Lessons From Michel de Montaigne

Enrich your life with some wisdom from the sixteenth century

Portrait of Michel de Montaigne by an unknown author, c. 1570s (Wikimedia Commons — image resized by author)

There are several big names associated with philosophy. We’ve all heard of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Nietzsche. Yet, you’re probably not familiar with the work of Michel de Montaigne.

Montaigne was a French philosopher from the sixteenth century and an influential thinker during the Renaissance period. His collected works, Essays, were published in 1580, and whilst they’re full of interesting ideas, the following life lessons are a good introduction to Montaigne’s wisdom:

1. Judgement is more important than knowledge

Montaigne criticises any form of education which does not encourage us to think for ourselves. Knowledge, he argues, must be built on our own. We shouldn’t accept everything we’re told, even if we’re being taught by someone in a position of authority, such as a parent or a lecturer.

“I do not like this relative and mendicant understanding. For though we could become learned by other men’s learning, a man can never be wise but by his own wisdom.” — Essays, Montaigne