Analyzing Montaigne on Solitude and Worries

The passage from Michel de Montaigne's essay "Of Solitude" explores the true nature of solitude and whether changing one's external circumstances truly leads to peace of mind. Montaigne argues that merely escaping the hustle and bustle of public life or business does not automatically free us from our deepest concerns.

Understanding Principal Worries in the Passage

Montaigne lists several internal states as the "principal worries of our life": ambition, avarice, irresolution, fear, and lust. He emphasizes that these internal issues are not left behind just because we change our physical location or occupation. The core idea is that the problem lies within us, not just in the external world we inhabit.

Let's examine the specific options given in the question and see what the passage says about them:

• A. detach our self from family life: The passage mentions that governing a family involves trouble, suggesting it's a source of occupation or potential worry ("domestic occupations are no less importunate"). However, it doesn't state that detaching from family life is a condition under which worries *follow* you. The passage focuses on worries following you even after leaving public/business life or going into seclusion.
• B. are deep into buying and selling: This relates to the "marketplace" mentioned in the passage. Montaigne states, "by getting rid of the court and the marketplace we do not get rid of the principal worries of our life". This implies that the worries are present in the marketplace (where buying and selling happen), and they also persist even if you leave it. Being deep into buying and selling places you squarely in the environment Montaigne associates with not being free from worries, even if the worries themselves are internal.
• C. mentally abstain from hustle and bustle: The passage discusses physical actions like getting rid of court/marketplace or going to cloisters/deserts. It argues that these external changes are insufficient because the internal worries (ambition, avarice, etc.) persist. The passage does not suggest that merely *mentally* abstaining from external activity is a condition under which worries follow you; rather, it implies worries follow you regardless of your external state or even if you attempt to change it externally.
• D. are in to schools of philosophy: The passage explicitly states that the principal worries "often follow us even into the cloisters and schools of philosophy". This is a direct statement that engaging with philosophy, often seen as a path to inner peace, does not guarantee freedom from these internal worries.

Based on this analysis:

• Option A is not supported by the text as a cause for worries following you.
• Option B is supported, as being in the "marketplace" (deep into buying and selling) is where worries reside and follow you from, even if you try to leave.
• Option C is not supported; the passage is about the failure of external changes (like leaving the marketplace) to remove internal worries, not about mental abstention.
• Option D is explicitly supported by the text.

Therefore, according to the passage, the "principal worries of our life" follow us if we are deep into buying and selling (related to the marketplace) and if we are in schools of philosophy.

Identifying Supported Conditions

The conditions from the options that are explicitly mentioned in the passage as places or situations where worries follow you are related to the marketplace (buying and selling) and schools of philosophy.

Let's summarise the findings in a table:

Thus, the conditions under which worries follow us, according to the passage, are those described in options B and D.

Revision Table: Montaigne's Ideas

Additional Information: Montaigne on Solitude

Michel de Montaigne, a significant figure of the French Renaissance, explored various aspects of human nature in his essays. In "Of Solitude," he distinguishes between physical solitude and true mental solitude. He argues that simply removing oneself from society or busy life is not enough. The internal state of mind is crucial. If the mind is still troubled by ambition, fear, or desire, these worries will accompany the person wherever they go, whether it's a secluded retreat or a school of philosophy. True solitude, for Montaigne, involves quieting the internal disturbances and finding peace within oneself, rather than relying solely on external separation from the world.