That to Study Philosophy is to Learn ..., Michel de Montaigne
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That to Study Philosophy is to Learn to Die

Author: Michel de Montaigne, Charles Cotton

Narrator: Douglas Harvey

Unabridged: 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/23/2020

Categories: Nonfiction, Philosophy


Synopsis

We all die, sooner or later. We all know it, and we wonder when, where, and how it may happen. and yet we go to extraordinary lengths to put the thought of it out of our minds. We hesitate to bring it up in conversations. Montaigne, who … essay, addressed this issue head on in “To Study Philosophy is to Learn to Die.” It is perhaps his best-known essay, a kind of summation of his philosophy, and considered his most stoic. There are three main themes: first, do not forget that we all die, including you; second, there’s no reason to be afraid or to worry; third, be ready when the time comes, as it inevitably will. Keeping death in mind, he argues, diminishes the shock when it happens to others and alleviates the suffering by putting things in perspective. Acceptance and understanding should, in turn, help us remember that death is a part of the natural order, and that it happens only once, after which there is nothing to worry about simply because there is nothing after the end of it all. These all help us to be prepared and to appreciate the present even more, releasing us from the enslavement of fear and anxiety. Carpe diem!

The essay contains numerous quotes in Latin from the ancients that reinforce his ideas. These are followed by an English translation and citation of the source in the original.

Author Bio

Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne (1533-1592), commonly known as Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance and the originator of the genre of the essay. Born near Bordeaux, Montaigne studied law and became a member of the Parliament of Bordeaux in 1557. In 1571, he retired to his castle at Montaigne and began to compose his many essays, on such diverse subjects as friendship, fear, education, and imagination, which were published in three volumes from 1580 to 1588. His work is characterized by skepticism, a desire for truth, and a driving interest in the human character, and has influenced writers across the ages, including Shakespeare, Descartes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Virginia Woolf.

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