Now that I’ve begun to make up for my error in never writing about Marie de Gournay, I’m fascinated by her and have dug into Phillipe Desan’s book for more information. This might be a good time to point out that I’ve had to put down Desan’s book a couple times because it is so…

I have noted in some recent essays and revisions the value of Terrence Cave’s book “How to Read Montaigne,” and I want to draw special attention to one unique way Cave analyzes the essays: Perhaps the best way is to read it as a work that seeks above all to devise cognitive strategies: strategies of…

I’ve written about Montaigne for 13 years without ever mentioning Marie Le Jars de Gournay. This is an oversight on my part, because Sarah Bakewell, whose book “How to Live” introduced me to Montaigne, devoted a full chapter to de Gournay. Where to even begin with Montaigne’s most devoted reader, friend, “adopted daughter,” editor and…

What’s it like to read this really long essay from Montaigne? I think Phillipe Desan in his recent biography of Montaigne describes it well: He also takes care to display a flawless faith, but follows Sebond in lines of reasoning that go around in circles and are sometimes completely contradictory. Montaigne notes that “God owes…

Before I go further in this essay, I want to take on the matter of Montaigne’s style. How much of what Montaigne states should you take at face value? There’s an excellent book that came out about 10 years ago called “Philosophy Between the Lines” by Arthur Melzer that makes the case that Montaigne had…

How can vicious passions, such as inconstancy and sudden dismay, produce in our souls anything right? While my current version of the Apology for Raymond Sebond essay seems rather popular among whatever combination of humans and bots currently visit this site, I have a nagging feeling that I’ve never done the piece justice. After all,…