In the age of medieval Christian thought, classical authorities reigned supreme as the ultimate source of knowledge about what was right and what was wrong. This, however, in the age of Christian humanist thought, was challenged by two writers in particular, Francois Rabelais and Michel de Montaigne. In their writings, they criticize European acceptance of dogma and what modern thinkers would today term "book knowledge,"" or learning without thinking carefully about what they learned. Throughout both of their works, Montaigne and Rabelais cite many past writers in a show of respect for their authority. Many will misinterpret Rabelais' and Montaigne's reference to authorities by calling them hypocritical. After all, it seems logical that if they were to criticize authorities in general, they would be reluctant to cite them at all. However, it is important to note that both authors do not bash authorities; rather, they only criticize the blind acceptance of such authorities. Thus, in analyzing both authors' viewpoints about the role that authority should have in one's life, it can be concluded that they ultimately share more than they do differ in their opinions. Their belief that acquiring knowledge should have high priority in daily activity, the theme of "knowing yourself- as the ultimate requisite before becoming an authority yourself, and finally, guidelines that reflect the danger of blind acceptance of authority in critical decisions, indeed run parallel throughout Rabelais' and Montaigne's thought. This is so because they both make an attempt to de-emphasize the role that authority has played in Europe in the sixteenth century.
The role of acquiring knowledge plays in both works is one of great magnitude. Montaigne quite clearly states what will be a prominent theme throughout his works, that "learning is a great ornament and a useful instrument of wondrous service- (42).