Michel de Montaigne was a highly influential philosopher of the French Renaissance, credited with popularizing the essay as a literary genre. Born into a wealthy family near Bordeaux, he received a rigorous classical education that deeply influenced his later works. His seminal work, the 'Essais' (Essays), explores a wide range of human experiences and thoughts with remarkable skepticism, introspection, and intellectual curiosity. Montaigne's writings had a profound impact on subsequent Western literature and philosophy, influencing thinkers such as René Descartes and William Shakespeare.