Style is the opposite of randomness and disharmony. When we say of a person or item that “they have style,” we mean that they stand apart; that they possess characteristics making them recognisable at first sight. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) turned his philosophical convictions into a literary style, one that stands apart because of its goals, structure and logic. Montaigne’s essays possess an array of characteristics that make them unique, and convey key philosophical lessons. In order to present those, I am going to employ an essay of Montaigne’s as an illustration. This particular essay carries the title “Tomorrow Is Another Day.” Montaigne wrote it when he was in his mid-forties. Let’s see which philosophical lessons it conveys by looking at its literary style. Like all other essays of Montaigne, this one has a clear, precise focus. Montaigne did not care much for abstractions or general questions lacking practical application. His philosophy revolved around self-improvement, day by day, year after year. The subject of this essay is anxiety, stress, preoccupation or worry. Those psychological issues have always existed, also in antiquity, although nowadays we tend to blow their impact out of proportion. Montaigne had a definite objective in writing this essay, that is, to find ways to reduce anxiety. He regarded himself as the archetype of the worried individual. He was always looking for ways to reduce risks, for instance, when travelling, cultivating his land, or educating his children. The more precise our questions, the higher our chances of finding an answer, reasoned Montaigne. In the case of anxiety, Montaigne formulated the question as follows: How can we avoid unnecessary mental suffering due to our tendency to fear risks and threats that will never materialise? Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/philosophical-lessons-from-michel-de-montaignes-literary-style/

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