It is easier to understand someone’s actions if we know his motivation. The same applies to understanding his philosophy and literary style, especially when it incorporates innovations, controversy, or unorthodox features. Historians have written extensively about the literary style of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), but their conclusions are rather unconnected and disorganised. Literary critics point out that Montaigne loved to recount anecdotes, ask rhetorical questions, employ humour and irony, quote authors from antiquity and go on lengthy tangents. Those remarks are true, but why did Montaigne write like that? What is the rationale for his style? I can answer that question by using one word: self-reliance. Montaigne’s strong self-reliance shows in his literary style. It shapes every one of his essays, every aspect of his logic, every anecdote he recounts. Let me illustrate my argument with Montaigne’s essay titled “On Prognostications.” The key idea of the essay is that no one can predict our future with precision, and that we will do better if we rely on our own efforts to give direction to our life. If Montaigne had stated his thesis in a couple of sentences, his arguments would have lost persuasiveness and strength. Let us not forget that he was writing primarily for himself; his goal was to cover the subject matter thoroughly and arrive at a solid conclusion. Self-reliance preceded Montaigne’s literary activity: it was a key trait of his personality, a trait that was also present in his best friend, Etienne de La Boetie (1530-1563). Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-rationale-for-michel-de-montaignes-literary-techniques/

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