Michel de Montaigne: The Subjective-Self Meme

Abstract

Montaigne’s Essays are not only a delightful read but a very personal look at the self-examination of one’s own selfhood or in modern parlance, how to search for the self in order to come to terms with oneself. This chapter emphasizes his unique approach by contrasting him with Luther, who found solace in faith alone in God’s grace, whereas Montaigne looked inside and sought self-knowledge as a step toward self-acceptance in the temporal domain. The chapter highlights the subjective-self meme as a turning point towards modernity, where we define our individuality in our differences. Montaigne turned from humanism as a basis for life, to the human values he found within himself and this is a mark of a more modern individuality.