Michel de Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne
Michel Eyquem de Montaignewas one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance, known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre. His work is noted for its merging of casual anecdotes and autobiography with serious intellectual insight; his massive volume Essaiscontains some of the most influential essays ever written. Montaigne had a direct influence on writers all over the world, including Francis Bacon, René Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Albert Hirschman, William Hazlitt, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Nietzsche,...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth28 February 1533
CountryFrance
Opinion is a powerful party, bold, and without measure.
Even opinion is of force enough to make itself to be espoused at the expense of life.
I give my opinion not as being good, but as being my own.
In my opinion , every rich man is a miser.
The diversity of physical arguments and opinions embraces all sorts of methods.
All the opinions in the world point out that pleasure is our aim.
It is setting a high value upon our opinions to roast men and women alive on account of them.
Stubborn and ardent clinging to one's opinion is the best proof of stupidity.
The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation.
From Obedience and submission comes all our virtues, and all sin is comes from self-opinion.
The relish of good and evil depends in a great measure upon the opinion we have of them.
Thus we should beware of clinging to vulgar opinions, and judge things by reason's way, not by popular say.
As by some might be saide of me: that here I have but gathered a nosegay of strange floures, and have put nothing of mine unto it, but the thred to binde them. Certes, I have given unto publike opinion, that these borrowed ornaments accompany me; but I meane not they should cover or hide me...
There is a plague on Man, the opinion that he knows something.