Max Weber / May 5th, 2020

Montaigne’s Of Solitude is a reflection on the importance and dangers of solitude. He examines the misleading nature of ambition and the ways in which ambition in public life can follow us into our solitary retreats and abodes. The solitary man must consider why he chooses solitude, what he will do once he has escaped the crowd, what his source of strength will be, and, in sum, how he can learn to live with himself. Montaigne sends the reader mixed messages about the importance of books, health and wealth, friends, philosophy, and religion. These good things appear in some places good and in some places fools’ errands. This device is meant to show the reader in a variety of ways the dilemma faced by men seeking to obtain good things for themselves.