Montaigne (Pushkin Collection)

This biography examines Michel de Montaigne, the Renaissance philosopher and founding figure of humanism. Stefan Zweig, a prominent 20th-century author, wrote this work during World War II as an argument for intellectual freedom and tolerance. Zweig draws parallels between Montaigne's historical moment—when Europe was divided by conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism—and his own era, marked by the rise of Fascism and Communism threatening the liberal culture of continental Europe. Like Montaigne, who sought to distance himself from the factional disputes of his time, Zweig defended freedom of thought and advocated for peace and compromise. One of Zweig's final works before his death, the biography presents both a portrait of Montaigne's intellectual life and a statement on the need for tolerance in a world dominated by conflict.