Philosophize This! Episode #024 ... Montaigne
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Jun 4, 2014 Discover how a 16th century road rage incident changed Michel de Montaigne's views on death. Learn why he prioritized personal experience over established philosophical systems and how this shaped his engaging writing style. Explore his ideas on mortality, including the belief that true philosophy involves learning to accept death. The discussion also features a humorous analogy involving a goose that encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives.
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Montaigne's Near-Death Experience
- Montaigne's fear of death changed after a near-death experience from a horse-riding accident.
- He found the experience surprisingly peaceful, like falling asleep, lessening his fear.
Personal Experience over Abstract Principles
- Montaigne valued personal experience over abstract principles, focusing on individual cases.
- His philosophy, like his essays, was an 'attempt' to understand life through lived experience.
Skepticism as a Foundation
- Montaigne blended Hellenistic schools, primarily skepticism, to form his philosophy.
- Skepticism enabled him to trust personal experience as valuable data for understanding.