The confusion between authenticity and subjectivity keeps exerting a negative influence on philosophy and literature. It is wrong to call an author “authentic” just because he is giving a personal opinion devoid of reasoning and unconnected to facts. When historians categorize the essays written by Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) as “authentic,” they mean that those essays contain his opinions or anecdotes about his own life. In my view, they are using the wrong logic in their categorization. Let me explain why I think they are wrong. “Authentic” is the opposite of “false, deceitful, adulterated, manipulated, untruthful.” The whole point of authentic writing is to present the truth, not to come up with a different version of falsehood, deceit and manipulation. Take for instance Montaigne’s essay “Of Death,” in which he includes some personal comments about deceased members of his family. The “authenticity” doesn’t reside in the subjective tone of those comments, but in their accuracy and truthfulness. Are those comments helping readers apprehend the insights that Montaigne wants to convey “Of Death,” or are they giving a false impression, despite their entertainment value? Subjectivity does not mean authenticity, far from it. I could recount my early life and fill many pages with memories, but the authenticity arises from quality, not from quantity. The important question is whether my memories are conveying true messages (insights, advice, enlightenment) or not. If those messages are distorted or inaccurate, we shouldn’t speak about “authenticity.” Montaigne had understood the difference between authentic and subjective. He committed himself to pursuing the first and avoiding the second, but his attempts led to unequal success. In his essay titled “Of Experience,” Montaigne recounts that he had adopted the motto “what do I know” (“Que sais-je?” in French) as a starting point of his writings. Montaigne had committed himself to pursuing the truth, and his approach matched the definition of authenticity. When he did not attain the mark, it’s because he did not manage to find the correct answer to the question he had raised. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/michel-de-montaigne-and-authenticity-in-writing/