Michel De Montaigne; Translated By M. A. Screech

About the Author

Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) was a French Renaissance philosopher, statesman, and writer whose introspective essays revolutionized personal literature. Born into nobility in southwestern France, he served as a counselor in the Bordeaux Parliament before retiring to his estate at age 38 to pursue a life of reflection and writing. His seminal work, The Essays, originally published in 1580 and expanded in 1588, explores themes of human nature, morality, education, and skepticism through candid self-examination, blending autobiography with philosophical inquiry. Translated into English by M. A. Screech, whose erudite and accessible rendition captures Montaigne's wit and humanity, this selection from Penguin Classics highlights his enduring influence on thinkers from Shakespeare to Emerson, establishing him as the father of the essay form.