French Renaissance thinker Michel de Montaigne, known for his Essays, pioneered a new literary form to explore the human condition through self-reflection and skepticism. Montaigne emphasized the limitations of human knowledge, famously asserting that "all I know is that I know nothing" and questioning the certainty of established beliefs. Unlike the medieval emphasis on religious authority and absolute truths, Montaigne embraced skepticism, questioning the reliability of reason and the ability to attain certain knowledge. He shifted the focus from universal truths to personal experience and subjective reflection, emphasizing the variability and complexity of human nature. This turn towards introspection, doubt, and the celebration of individual perspective marked a break from the collective, theologically driven worldview of the medieval period, paving the way for the more human-centered, secular philosophies of the modern era.
