Difference, Unity and Relationships: Montaigne and Renaissance Thought

In the "Essais" Montaigne presents “difference” as an explicative category of reality. However, although he points out the difference and variety of things as being constants of nature, he by no means disregards the links between things and the unity of nature. Consider, for example, the passages of the "Apologie de Raimond Sebond" in which Montaigne demonstrates the affinity between men, animals and plants. An idea emerges here of the great philosophical depth expressed in various modulations during the Renaissance: think, for example, Cusanus and Bruno. We investigate, therefore, the link between the concepts of difference, unity and relationship in Montaigne, comparing his texts with those of other Renaissance authors who moved in his cultural circles.