The autobiography of Michel de Montaigne

The text commonly referred to as the autobiography of Michel de Montaigne is not a formal memoir composed by the Renaissance philosopher himself, but rather a biographical compilation curated by Marvin Lowenthal in the early 20th century. Published in 1935, this work rearranges excerpts from Montaigne’s renowned Essays into a chronological narrative that mimics the structure of an autobiography. The project sought to make Montaigne's complex and meandering thoughts more accessible to a modern audience by presenting his reflections on life, death, and human nature through the lens of a personal life story.

The selection and arrangement were guided by Lowenthal's desire to highlight the intimate, human voice of the French skeptic. By stripping away the more academic apparatus of the complete essays, the book frames Montaigne's observations as a cohesive self-portrait. Upon its release, the volume was well-received for its ingenuity in distilling the vast and dense source material, providing readers with a digestible entry point into Montaigne's philosophy without sacrificing the authentic tone of his original writings.