Specific aspects of Montaigne’s life that have an obvious connection with his philosophy

The author of “Essays” was a very important political man in the 16th century. His desire for action in the public domain came from his ideas. The possibility to act came from his family’s fame. For three generations, his family had participated in municipal affairs in Bordeaux.
His grandfather had been a provost, his father, mayor of the city, and himself, a member of Parliament. On the other hand, the extremely agitated times (fight between Protestants and Catholics) prompted him to get a reconciliation between the parties.
A great figure of Aquitaine had played a very important part in this respect: Germain Gaston of Foix, Count of Gurson and Fleix. He had been the ambassador in England for giving Calais back to France. He was the founder of the League in Aquitaine (the Catholic part). Without giving up his religious convictions, he worked for peace. Among other important persons can be cited the Queen Mother Catherine de Médicis, the Chancellor of L’Hôpital, and the Marshal of Matignon. It must be emphasised that Montaigne’s choice was high-risk, given the many armed confrontations between the two parties.
Montaigne’s most important political participation was his term as mayor of Bordeaux in 1581, which he accepted after a little forcing by Henri III. He fulfilled it to everyone’s satisfaction. In spite of his serious illness (he suffered from kidney stones), precarious health, and actions by extremist opponents, he ran for a new term and was re-elected. This second term let the Marshal of Matignon be elected as his successor, to continue Montaigne’s work as moderator.

One can understand that, driving the deplorable memory of this harsh dispute far from him, how much the author of “Essays” wanted simply but strongly to express his gratitude to the “good people” of Bordeaux.

“This people who all used the most extreme means at hand to favour me, before knowing me and after, and did much more for me by giving me back my office than by giving it to me in the first place.”
Michel de Montaigne


A. Benoist