Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592), ‘Of Sadness or Sorrow’, ‘That We Laugh or Cry for the Same Thing’ and ‘Of Anger’

Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) was one of the principal French philosophers of the sixteenth century. His most famous and popular work is the Essais (Essays) in which he sought to provide an insight into human nature by examining himself. Inevitably, Montaigne came to consider human emotions including sorrow and anger. Drawing upon previous accounts of the emotions, Montaigne emphasized the diversity of emotions and their conflicting nature in individuals.