Historian+and+Biographer+of+Montaigne's+Cannibals

Michel de Montaigne’s "Of Cannibals" is an essay written during the Renaissance, designed to intrigue and involve the reader. His work includes many quotations from ancient Greek and Roman philosophic texts. Montaigne’s goal for his essays, especially "Of Cannibals," is to describe man in a very straight forward manner. Michel de Montaigne’s "Of Cannibals" was influenced by his experiences in life and the world that surrounded him during the Renaissance.

Beginning with his birth in 1572, Montaigne began his journey to earn the title of the “Father of the Essay.” Montaigne was born into a privileged family in southeast France but grew up as a peasant. Michel’s father thought it would suit Michel best if he were to grow up with a humble beginning. After his childhood, Montaigne went to school and received a higher level of education. Following his years of schooling, he was appointed Councilor of the Bordeaux Parliament. After the death of a dear friend, Montaigne became depressed and entered a dark emotional state. Shortly afterward, he and his family moved to the family chateau where he began and completed his first book of essays. His essays reflected his interest in a higher level of learning, respect towards different beliefs and cultures, and how to endure pain. Originally raised as a Protestant, Montaigne converted to the Roman Catholicism. He then began his attempt to bring peace and understanding between the two opposing religions and was ultimately unsuccessful. In 1588 he was arrested by the Protestant League but was soon released after intense questioning. These events shaped Montaigne in such a way that he began his journey to be one of the most influential writers to this day.

Living during the Renaissance Montaigne saw the practical self-centered world-view of the period. He used this “world-view” in his works to bring about tolerance for and acceptance of different people and cultures. Montaigne was disgusted with the violence and barbarism associated with the conflict between the Roman Catholics and Protestants. Because of this disgust Montaigne’s essays show pessimism and skepticism, which were both quite uncommon during the Renaissance. In Montaigne’s works, one can also see his humanism, a Renaissance philosophy that esteemed humanity. He opposed the conquest of the New World because of the negative effects it would have on the natives. He felt that people should be observed, as in "Of Cannibals," but not altered in a negative way. Montaigne expected everybody to accept everyone uncritically. He was very modern for his time, and his work was arguably the most popular and prominent in France until the Enlightenment. Michel de Montaigne is arguably one of the greatest and most influential writers in literary history. Being the "Father of the Essay," Montaigne revolutionized the world during the Renaissance with his style and subjects. Ahead of his time, Montaigne believed in tolerance and acceptance and illustrated such through his work.

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