'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
Reflexions 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
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affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
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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. |
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