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'Our Virtues Are, Most Often, Only Vices In Disguise.' Deceptively Brief And Insidiously Easy To Read, La Rochefoucauld's Shrewd, Unflattering Analyses Of Human Behaviour Have Influenced Writers, Thinkers, And Public Figures As Various As Voltaire, Proust, De Gaulle, Nietzsche, And Conan Doyle. The Author Gave Himself The Following Advice: 'The Reader's Best Policy Is To Assume That None Of These Maxims Is Directed At Him, And That He Is The Sole Exception...After That, I Guarantee That He Will Be The First To Subscribe To Them.' This Is The Fullest Collection Of La Rochefoucauld's Writings Ever Published In English, And Includes The First Complete Translation Of The Réflexions Diverses (Miscellaneous Reflections). A Table Of Alternative Maxim Numbers And An Index Of Topics Help The Reader To Locate Any Maxim Quickly And To Appreciate The Full Range Of La Rochefoucauld's Thought On Any Of His Favourite Themes, Such As Self-love, Vice And Virtue, Love And Jealousy, Friendship And Self-interest, Passion And Pride. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
This collection investigates the core question of whether human virtue is merely a manifestation of self-interest and hidden vice. François de La Rochefoucauld, a 17th-century French nobleman and moralist, utilizes his observations of court life and human interaction to dismantle the facade of altruism. His framework posits that pride and self-love are the primary drivers of all human action, regardless of how noble those actions may appear on the surface.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts and scholars regard this volume as a foundational text in the study of moral psychology and cynical literature. Readers frequently note the sharp, aphoristic density of the prose, which requires careful reflection to fully grasp the author's intent.
Page Count:
400
Publication Date:
2008-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
019162313X
ISBN-13:
9780191623134
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