00:00 📜 Michel de Montaigne, a Renaissance essayist, is known for his free-flowing, digressive, and personal writing style that covers a wide range of topics. 01:07 🖋 Montaigne's writing feels like a direct conversation with the reader, making it relatable and engaging even after 500 years. 02:30 🇫🇷 Montaigne, along with other French writers of his time, is praised for his clear and graceful writing style, connecting the last centuries before Christ to the Renaissance. 03:25 📝 Montaigne's talent lies in crafting memorable sentences and phrases rather than making rigorous arguments. 04:35 📚 Montaigne's essay "Of the Education of Children" emphasizes that education should focus on teaching how to live and make judgments rather than memorizing facts and quotations. 06:38 💡 Developing the capacity for judgment is essential, as education should not rely on authority or rote learning. 08:01 🤔 Montaigne advocates for embracing a variety of ideas, not being bound by a single authority, and making knowledge one's own through judgment. 09:53 🤷 Montaigne's philosophy embodies perspectivism, viewing past thinkers as diverse perspectives to consider in developing one's judgment. 15:38 🦊 Montaigne is a "fox" philosopher, knowing a little about many things but not committing to a structured system of thought. 19:27 🌍 Montaigne's diverse interests and wide-ranging essays make him a Renaissance man, influenced by Greek and Roman classics but advocating for a more open-minded and less doctrinal approach to education. 21:07 📖 Montaigne's family had diverse religious views, and he advocated for a liberal approach to education, encouraging good judgment over dogmatic teachings. 22:53 🤝 Michel de Montaigne formed a deep bond of friendship with his best friend, Etan de Latier, which he valued even more than familial relationships. 25:34 💖 Montaigne believed that the love between true friends was deeper than familial bonds or romantic relationships, emphasizing the importance of confiding in and admonishing friends. 27:08 💍 Montaigne regarded marriage as a contractual arrangement driven by practical and financial reasons, lacking the voluntary and equal nature of true friendship. 28:28 🦠 Montaigne's friendship with Etan was deeply impacted by the plague in Bordeaux, where Etan fell ill and passed away, leaving Montaigne profoundly affected. 29:50 ✈ In 1580, Montaigne embarked on a journey through Western Europe, known as the Grand Tour, which influenced his writings and allowed him to explore different cultures and religions. 31:57 🏞 Montaigne's chronic kidney stones were a constant ailment, leading him to visit various natural mineral springs throughout Europe during his travels. 32:39 🙏 Montaigne's religious beliefs remain ambiguous, but he expressed skepticism towards atheism and agnosticism while emphasizing faith and reason coexisting in religion. 36:05 📚 Montaigne defended Raymond Sabon's rational approach to Christianity in his essay but ultimately argued that human reason could not provide certainty in religious matters. 38:50 🤔 Montaigne's apparent contradiction in defending Sabon while undermining his arguments may reflect his genuine belief in the limitations of human reason. 45:07 ⛪ Montaigne remained a Catholic and valued tradition but criticized extreme religious dogmatism and advocated for a more moderate approach to differences in religious belief. 45:22 💭 Montaigne valued skepticism and questioned the practice of punishing heretics for their opinions. 46:03 📚 Montaigne embraced doubt and philosophical inquiry as a joyful pursuit, undermining certainties in life. 48:31 😄 Montaigne's humor is reflected in his preference for laughter over weeping, emphasizing the value of humor in philosophical thought. 51:14 🧠 Montaigne explored the relationship between memory and wisdom, suggesting that strong memory doesn't necessarily equate to profound judgment. 55:04 🤥 Montaigne critiqued the faith people place in their own memory and how it can lead to deception and lying. 59:10 💀 Philosophy, according to Montaigne, involves learning to confront and accept the inevitability of death. 01:00:33 😇 Montaigne believed that virtue includes developing indifference towards death and learning not to fear it. 01:03:18 🤔 Montaigne encouraged contemplating death frequently to prepare for it, rather than avoiding the topic. 01:06:24 🤯 Montaigne suggested that we should be mindful of death even in moments of pleasure, as death can strike unexpectedly. 01:07:49 ⏳ Preparing for death allows one to face it without fear, leading to a sense of freedom. 01:08:57 🍯 Contemplating death can sweeten life by emphasizing its brevity and making every moment more precious. 01:09:25 💀 Death comes either quickly or slowly, and being prepared for it helps maintain a sense of peace and urgency. 01:10:48 🌱 The ideal state is to be motivated to do things today while also being unconcerned about leaving some tasks undone. 01:12:22 🔮 Forethought and preparation can be an advantage in dealing with death, even though the existential questions may persist. 01:14:01 💬 Montana's aim was for his death to reflect the life he had lived, with no regrets or unfinished business. 01:15:08 🌍 Michel de Montaigne is a Renaissance figure who bridges the classical world and the Age of Reason, offering relatable wisdom and a sense of approachability.

“I know of only one writer whom, in point of honesty, I can rank with Schopenhauer, and even above him, and that is Montaigne. The fact that such a man has written truly adds to the joy of living on this earth” - Nietzsche

In my 8th decade and, while no scholar, I have been intimate for decades with most of the subjects you present here. I learn new, exciting and philosophically (in the true meaning of the term) HELPFUL clarifications in every podcast. You are an extraordinary teacher. What an age we live in. Soak it up, young souls! For, if you are lucky, you too will grow old and die And if you are not lucky, well, better soak it up faster.

"If you die before you die, then you won't die when you die." - Inscribed on the wall at St. Paul's Monastery on Mt. Athos.

One of history's most admirable thinkers. I fell in love with his essays in college.

I love Montaigne's lightness and his self critical and strong perspective ❤

You are an awesome lecturer. Your philosophical dissertation is like a lullaby to my soul, battered by today's dry-academic intellectual self-indulgence. I never had even one teacher of your caliber, with the exception of my father's invaluable philosophy lessons. His teachings validated my trusting intuition more than intellect, and yours was a feast for my sanity. Thank you for your gift of sharing.

This is going to be a fun! I was working on a project about aroma when I read his essay “of smells” and Nietzsche say “my genius resides in my nostrils”. I figured it couldn’t be a coincidence and ended up making a “cento about scent” using Nietzsche quotes. I put it in my book. Lol

Simply magnificent. The best channel of philosophy out there. A true gift for the ones who love and respect wisdom.

Coincidental timing. I had just ordered Montaigne's collected essays of some 1300 pages which arrived yesterday and will be picked up today

Excited for this! Working through your "Beyond Good and Evil" episodes. Astounded by how well you explain the text and your breadth of knowledge. Studied Nietzsche a little when getting a philosophy degree decades ago, and your explanations and insights are infinitely better than what was presented to me then. Thanks man!

In my theatre of the mind, right after you die, you're transported to a cafe of the liminal. There, waiting for me will be Montaigne and the first thing he'll say....."What took you so long!? See, there was nothing to fear, was there? Waiter, two coffee's! We have a good chat to start!!"I love how so many of us, through the ages have found solace with this little Frenchmen with the big ideas.....By the way, your presentation was most excellent. Cheers!

His mother came from Las Asturias. His hometown was Périgueux, where there is a statue of him in the Parc by the Musée

This guy is like me if I had a past life wow I can relate soooo much!Never heard of him but eager to read his works! Thank you for introducing me to this phenomenal philosopher❤

I already know this is gonna be good!

48:20 laughter/humour is more derisive/disdainful than the other, very true. "...we can never be despised as much as we deserved..." sounds masochistic even if mockingly said, but that what it takes it seems to remain grounded.

When a man says, "Learn to die before you die." I listen.

Well spoken, thorough, insightful

this is one of my favorite episodes of your entire podcast, Keagan... keep it up!!... i feed most hungrily, monsieur.

This lecture mentions Hannibal Barca and Will Durant. I’m listening. Great stuff, I’ll certainly read Montaigne.

This presentation is the lesson on Montaigne that i never had when encountering his work in college. Thank you for its breadth, clarity, and measured delivery. One topic that i thought i'd hear but did not (did i miss it?) was Montaigne on the subject of lying - something along the line of: deliberate falsehoods are especially egregious given all the natural opportunities to be misunderstood. Is this something Montaigne addressed?

Great work mate

My top 5 go-to philosophers. Great episode.

I love your podcast. I have never found such an in-depth and intimate examination of philosophers and their philosophies. BTW what is that classical piece you use on your Spotify podcast? I'm dying to listen to the whole piece.

Well done, thanks.

Thank you for that!

Thank you for talking about this figure

Thanks!

Damn Salts your now up to 26k subs. That is quite a spike since my last visit. Ive been away so to speak. I went down a Jungian rabbit hole. The Red Book. Had to take a break alot to digest. Good to be back 🤘

Hello Keegan, I am very interested in reading more about about the faculty of forgetting. Do you perhaps have a book you could recommend. PS I have watched your video on it, I just want delve more deeply into it.

''There is nothing so ridiculous but some philosopher has said it.'' Is perhaps the best summation of philosophy ever written down

Where is that Horus quote from?

Don’t forget Parmenides from the Greek philosophy

Second listen to this video.. much more awesome after hearing the one about Pascal, and what is said there about Montaigne. This is the POSSIBLE true freedom of a true aristocrat. Some become less with all that freedom, like Pascal.

Thank you for further insight into the philosopher, who Dr.West (Cornel West 2024) quotes when he talks about "learning how to die (daily), in order to learn how to live"

To learn to die reveals the life of the spirit.

Salts it may be a bit riskay but there is another French philosopher which everybody seems to steer clear of. I'm talking of the distinguished Marquis de Sade. I've read some of his works and although quite depraved he does have a philosophical knack. Albeit subversive. It's a shady suggestion I know🤘

When people who do not question what they read say, "All I know is that I know nothing"... what they mean is "I they know nothing for CERTAIN," I think, like this man said. The old quagmire of "The more you know the more you know how much you do not know." Mostly only those who know little are very sure of what they THINK they know, but any first year MEDIOCRE lawyer can pull their ideas or arguments apart, though unfortunately they will never concede to new facts or knowledge, as Montaigne suggest in his essay about education. As of yet, I have no idea how correctly deal with those people, and imagining I might be one of them, but how best to deal with those?? I am willing to hear ideas on this, bc after all we must deal with them, and people we do not like much in general, daily. Montaigne suggests that we never get into long arguments with people of this type, but.... is it bc we would be punching down??

Agree.

Thank you for the big effort. Net is full of nonsense,but this what you do,i do not include on those 🙂

Contrast this notion of philosophy as 'learning to die' with Camus assertion that the only question philosophy needs to answer is 'Whether or not to commit suicide.' What is it with the French?

So when are you doing more on Nietzsche? Do you think you will ever work through thus spoke Zarathustra like you have beyond good and evil?

He's literally me

The royal society

I love how blithely all historians treat the Spaniards and their reconquest of their native lands It took the indigenous people of Spain 800 years to reclaim their country The brutality, the sexual assaults, the slavery of the Spaniards is never, ever mentioned Why? Why do the colonizers of Spain get show a glowing portrayal?

After Montaigne how can writing be a lonely pursuit?

From the Buddha till Socrates there is nothing new about the line "the fool who knows he's a fool is that much wiser

what's wrong with Seigneur de Montaigne's left eye? lol

Arabic prose preceded that

Socrates called philosophy "rehearsal for dying"😅

Jesus man like 9 minutes in already dropping heavy banger quotes this one gonna be good !

20.00

He died in 1592 not 93.

He wouldn't have been so glib if he mounted a time machine and saw America in 2024. Some countries MAKE their residents die. From not having enough money to BUY out of this death-life here. He never could have imagined that.

Love is stronger than death ❤

50:03 What do you people make of this, Diogenes and thus Montaigne, esteemed us so little.... "...incapable of doing good or evil..." Seems ignorant of Diogenes, or stupid, though he was not stupid, what is it when a wise man says stupid things?? How can he say THAT after seeing the evil humans are in fact very capable of doing to each other intentionally?? Was he talking in a cosmological sense, that the "evil" men do is nothing if seen at that scale?? or that human's motives for what we call evil are always petty?? What do you all make of this?

En Français ça serait la moindre des chose ! Non ? Après tout ce fut un auteur Français .Y a -t-il un Français dans la salle ?!

You pronounced his name wrongly.

Good text but please pronounce his name properly. We owe him this much.

Good video, but awful pronunciation of Montaigne's name!

Why is it so hard for English speakers to pronounce even well-known names correctly? It’s impossible to follow the argument, however perfect, while the name is being butchered every few moments. Too hard to learn such a simple thing? Or for lack of respect? /mɒnˈteɪn/!!!!!

He wrote best when falling down drunk.

Salts it may be a bit riskay but there is another French philosopher which everybody seems to steer clear of. I'm talking of the distinguished Marquis de Sade. I've read some of his works and although quite depraved he does have a philosophical knack. Albeit subversive. It's a shady suggestion I know🤘