Why did Michel de Montaigne prefer experience and independent judgment to memorization?

Michel de Montaigne advocated for concrete experience and independent judgment over rote memorization because he believed that education should foster active participation and original thought rather than the passive accumulation of undigested, externally imposed notions.12

For Montaigne, the prevailing educational methods of his time often reduced culture to mere imitation, stripping it of authenticity and vitality. He argued that learning should be a source of delight that draws the student into the process of discovery, rather than something forced upon them. By prioritizing independent judgment, he sought to protect the individual from the "tyranny of imposed customs and opinions," encouraging a skeptical approach that rejects unexamined ideas in favor of personal reflection and the exploration of one's own nature.213

Ultimately, Montaigne viewed the goal of education as the development of an authentic self capable of navigating the world with integrity. He believed that true wisdom arises from the "coming and going" between one's private reflections and the broader world of experience, rather than from the sterile, pedantic memorization of abstract concepts.123