Essays of Montaigne: Vol. 2

Known as the father of skepticism, Michel de Montaigne was a French Renaissance philosopher and essayist. In 1586, Montaigne?s father asked him to translate Theologia naturalis, a Spanish text concerning religion. After translating the work, Montaigne wrote one of his longest essays ?The Apology for Raymond Sebond? based on the Spanish author. A few years later, Montaigne began work on his most famous piece, Essais. Essais was an enormously influential work that established the essay as a new literary genre. The essays in his collection were Montaigne?s personal musings on a variety of topics, such as love, friendship, religion, freedom and education. Montaigne?s primary subject throughout Essais is himself, and it is by looking within that he explores the essence of humanity. Montaigne?s essays were enormously influential and inspired such authors as Voltaire, Flaubert, Pascal and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This book contains Montaigne?s Essais translated from the original French to English by Charles Cotton.