Michel De Montaigne: Man

Michel De Montaigne was (1533-1592) French-Occitan author, humanistic philosopher, statesman. Explore interesting quotes on man.
Michel De Montaigne: 528 quotes14 likes

“[I]n my country, when they would say a man has no sense, they say, such an one has no memory; and when I complain of the defect of mine, they do not believe me, and reprove me, as though I accused myself for a fool: not discerning the difference betwixt memory and understanding, which is to make matters still worse for me. But they do me wrong; for experience, rather, daily shows us, on the contrary, that a strong memory is commonly coupled with infirm judgment.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book I, Ch. 9
Essais (1595), Book I

“Truly man is a marvellously vain, diverse, and undulating object. It is hard to found any constant and uniform judgement on him.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Certes, c'est un subject merveilleusement vain, divers, et ondoyant, que l'homme. Il est malaisé d'y fonder jugement constant et uniforme.
Book I, Ch. 1
Essais (1595), Book I

“Plato says, "'T is to no purpose for a sober man to knock at the door of the Muses;" and Aristotle says "that no excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of folly."”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book II, Ch. 2. Of Drunkenness
Essais (1595), Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

“Of all human and ancient opinions concerning religion, that seems to me the most likely and most excusable, that acknowledged God as an incomprehensible power, the original and preserver of all things, all goodness, all perfection, receiving and taking in good part the honour and reverence that man paid him, under what method, name, or ceremonies soever”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book II, Ch. 12
Essais (1595), Book II

“Confidence in another man's virtue is no light evidence of a man's own, and God willingly favors such a confidence.”

Michel De Montaigne

Book I, Ch. 14
Attributed
Variant: Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one's own goodness.

“A man of understanding has lost nothing, if he has himself.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

L'homme d'entendement n'a rien perdu, s'il a soi-même.
Book I, Ch. 39
Essais (1595), Book I

“A man may be humble through vainglory.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book II, Ch. 17
Essais (1595), Book II

“In this present that God has made us, there is nothing unworthy our care; we stand accountable for it even to a hair; and is it not a commission to man, to conduct man according to his condition; 'tis express, plain, and the very principal one, and the Creator has seriously and strictly prescribed it to us. Authority has power only to work in regard to matters of common judgment, and is of more weight in a foreign language; therefore let us again charge at it in this place”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book III, Ch. 13
Essais (1595), Book III

“A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can”

Michel De Montaigne

Attributed

“The first law that ever God gave to man was a law of pure obedience; it was a commandment naked and simple, wherein man had nothing to inquire after, nor to dispute; forasmuch as to obey is the proper office of a rational soul, acknowledging a heavenly superior and benefactor.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book II, Ch. 12
Essais (1595), Book II

“As far as fidelity is concerned, there is no animal in the world as treacherous as man.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book II, Ch. 12
Essais (1595), Book II

“The plague of man is boasting of his knowledge.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book II, Ch. 12
Essais (1595), Book II

“Accustom him to everything, that he may not be a Sir Paris, a carpet-knight, 5 but a sinewy, hardy, and vigorous young man.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Book I, Ch. 15. Of the Education of Children
Essais (1595), Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

“Every man bears the whole stamp of the human condition.”

Michel De Montaigne book Essays

Chaque homme porte la forme, entière de l'humaîne condition.
Book III, Ch. 2
Essais (1595), Book III