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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Montaigne characterizes his parents' treatment of him as which of the following?

2. What does Montaigne say about how bad a vice lying is in general?

3. The noble who is discussed in Book 1 of Essays: Chapter 4, Essay #46 organizes his dinner guests according to what?

4. In Book 1 of Essays: Chapter 2, Essay #3, what city do the soldiers who were allowed to escape go on to attack?

5. Montaigne believes that not all vices are what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What consequences did his father's opinion on education have on Montaigne?

2. What was the goal of the social experiment that Montaigne describes near the end of Book 2 of Essays: Chapter 8?

3. What occurrence that is related to Sebond's work does Montaigne say he is proud of?

4. Why does Montaigne use few quotations from women in his essays?

5. What unusual rule did Knights of the Spanish order that Montaigne discusses have to obey, and why?

6. What is the purpose of this book, according to Montaigne?

7. How does Montaigne suggest that virtue is different from kindliness?

8. What decision does the soldier have to make in Book 1 of Essays: Chapter 2, Essay #3?

9. How does Montaigne suggest that a liar can be caught?

10. What is strange about the way Feudalism tends to divide territory?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In one of his essays, Montaigne discusses the act of using evil means to achieve goods ends. His opinion on this subject is nuanced and impartial.

1) Discuss, using Montaigne's examples, the major philosophical points that come into play when discussing the justification of evil means for achieving good ends.

2) Summarize Montaigne's opinion on the subject, discussing whether or not justifications can be made in certain circumstances, and what moral weight these types of actions carry.

3) Analyze Montaigne's other writings and journals and asses whether or not Montaigne appears to be consistent in his own life n the application of the recommendations he makes in his essay about using evil means for good ends. Does he sometimes break his own rules, or does he generally adhere to them?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout his life, Montaigne was touched by the effects of death, and mortality was a constant but understated part of his thoughts and beliefs.

1) Summarize the losses that Montaigne experienced during his lifetime.

2) Discuss the impact that these losses had on Montaigne, and the reasons he had for avoiding writing about them in his works.

3) Describe the effect that mortality had on Montaigne's thinking and his works.

4) Describe how Montaigne was able to cope with the frequent loss of life that he witnessed.

Essay Topic 3

Montaigne believes in the reality of objective truth, ideas that exist in a perfect state, without the need for human interpretation. He believes that although he, and all other humans, are imperfect interpreters of these truths, they cannot be diminished or tarnished in any way by human failings.

1) Discuss the concept of truth that Montaigne articulates in his essays. How are truths understood and derived, and where do they come from? How do human beings interact with the truth?

2) Montaigne suggests that he may contradict himself from time to time. Discuss one example of this, and describe how Montaigne might explain his mistake. How would he justify the perfection of the truth he was attempting to express in the face of this contradiction?

3) Discuss the importance of the concept of objective truth in some of Montaigne's other philosophies. How does it relate to these other ideas, and how are his arguments bolstered by a reliance on objective truth?

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