My Heroes: (9) Michel de Montaigne

MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE (1533-1592)

Montaigne was born in Bordeaux, France, the son of a wealthy Catholic landowner & lawyer and a Spanish Jewish mother who was bought up as a Protestant. He virtually invented the essay as a form of writing and he used himself as a subject by means of searingly honest introspection. His writings were originally seen as self-indulgent but he was a strong influence on Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Rousseau and particularly Descartes.

What really draws my attention to him is the broad range of subjects that he wrote about and the very modern style that the essays still seem to have. They are very easy and rewarding to read on topics such as "On the Power of the Imagination" which detours for an hilarious discussion of farting before returning to it's stated topic. (Added 27th August: He was classically educated and his works are peppered with Latin quotations and references, All translated, of course, but it is worth persevering.) He was modest and unassuming, even pondering at one time to consider whether or not, when he played with his cat, it was her playing with him. To give an idea of his scope here are some of his essay titles: "Of Drunkeness", "Of Cannibals", "Of Thumbs", "That To Study Philosophy IsTo Learn To Die", "How we weepe and laugh at one selfe-same thing" and so on.