Michel de Montaigne, Essays - On Solitude - Motives For Solitude - Sadler's Lectures

Podcast: Sadler's Lectures · Lectures on classic and contemporary philosophical texts and thinkers by Gregory B. Sadler

Opublikowano: 2026-09-11

This lecture discusses key ideas from the Renaissance-era philosopher, critic, and essayist Michel De Montaigne's work Essays, specifically his essay "On Solitude" (De la Solitude). It discusses the last portion of that essay, where he examines three main sets of motivations for retiring into solitude: religion, pleasure, and ambition. The first of these he acknowledges to be something great, but admits that it isn't something he can relate to. Pleasure is a legitimate reason for going into retirement, and Montaigne provides a number of principles and considerations for making one's solitude as pleasant as it can be. Ambition in his...