For historians of philosophy, there is a definite proof that Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was a forerunner of modern existentialism; they point to Montaigne’s essay titled “To study philosophy is to learn to die” and argue that it contains all key ideas of existentialist philosophy. I cannot deny Montaigne’s position as a precursor of Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and Albert Camus (1913-1960), but I want to underline the uniqueness of his ideas. Neither Sartre, Camus, or any other modern existentialist has ever grasped Montaigne’s optimism and benevolence. They have also not grasped Montaigne’s method. He was not a well-spoken theoretician, even if he did lots of research. Montaigne had a hands-on approach to philosophy that contrasts with later and prior authors. Montaigne loved to read Greek and Roman classics to draw practical wisdom. He admired Socrates, Seneca, Epicurus and Marcus Aurelius because they had solved problems similar to those he was facing. Montaigne’s interest in their ideas was one hundred per cent personal: he wanted to improve his own life. When Montaigne affirmed that “To study philosophy is to learn to die,” he actually meant that “To study philosophy is to learn to live,” that is, to learn to make the best of each day. Montaigne’s goal was not to prepare himself for death, like a monk who goes each day to confession, but to employ death as a motivator to live better, more effectively and intensely. His awareness of his own mortality led him to cheerfulness, to joy, for the fact that he was still alive and capable of action. Like the ancient stoics, in particular Seneca (4 BC-65 AD), Montaigne had found serenity after accepting his own future death. The fact that he suffered from kidney stones for decades only reinforced his consciousness of death. He enjoyed each day to the maximum, precisely because he had realized that life is so precious and fragile. He was grateful for what he had, and put it to good use. In contrast to later existentialists such as Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Montaigne did not consider his own death as a tragedy or threat. He viewed death as an inevitable part of life: it is an aspect to be reckoned with, not something to agonise about. In the twentieth century, existentialists such as Albert Camus, theorised about the connection between future death and present anxiety, but such connection played a minor role in Montaigne’s philosophy. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/michel-de-montaigne-as-a-precursor-of-existentialism/

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