Maxims
- 128 pages
- 5 hours of reading
Captures the philosophy of La Rochefoucauld, which influenced French intellectuals as diverse as Voltaire and the Jansenists, in more than 600 aphorisms.
François Duc De La Rochefoucauld Books
The Duc de La Rochefoucauld was a French author celebrated for his maxims and memoirs. His worldview was clear-eyed and urbane, neither condemning human conduct nor sentimentally celebrating it. He was considered an exemplar of the accomplished 17th-century nobleman. His writings offer astute observations on human nature.
Reflections; Or, Sentences and Moral Maxims
- 80 pages
- 3 hours of reading
The classic collection of wise phrases and advisory maxims by Rochefoucauld is published here in hardcover, complete with annotations. Originally written in the aftermath of decades spent in the lively and politically charged French court, Rochefoucauld had honed his wit and wisdom through having lived among and dealt with people. Admired in France for his shrewd conduct and opinions, Rochefoucauld neither praised humanity for its achievements and virtues nor condemned it for its flaws, excess pride and sins. His famous Reflections encapsulate an attitude cultivated by experience at a time of intellectual awakening in France. Rochefoucauld's even-handed nature receives due prominence in this book: his maxims are pithy and incisive, witty and occasionally profound. Something of a progenitor to Oscar Wilde for his sharp brevity, Rochefoucauld nevertheless carefully pruned and edited his maxims during his lifetime, while a few were added by admirers posthumously.
