La Rochefoucauld - Collected Works, incl. The Maxims (6 books)

* François de La Rochefoucauld - Collected Works, incl. The Maxims (6 books)

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD (1613–1680) was a French aristocrat, courtier, and writer best known for his penetrating reflections on human nature. Born into a noble family during the reign of Louis XIII, he spent much of his early life involved in the political intrigues and civil conflicts of the French court. His participation in the aristocratic rebellions known as the The Fronde deeply shaped his outlook, leaving him skeptical about the motives of political actors and human behavior in general. After withdrawing from active political life, he turned increasingly toward literary and philosophical reflection.

La Rochefoucauld became a central figure in the intellectual salons of Paris, especially that of Madame de Sablé. In these circles he refined the sharp, concise style for which he became famous. His observations focused on the hidden motives behind human actions, often arguing that what appears to be virtue is frequently driven by self-interest or vanity.

His most celebrated work is MAXIMES (first published in 1665), a collection of brief aphorisms analyzing human behavior and the psychology of social life. In these short statements, La Rochefoucauld examines themes such as pride, love, friendship, hypocrisy, and ambition, exposing the subtle role of self-love (amour-propre) in shaping human conduct. The bilingual edition of the COLLECTED MAXIMS & OTHER REFLECTIONS (2007), translated by Blackmore and Giguère, is notable because it is the first full complete English translation, including the Réflexions diverses (Miscellaneous Reflections) which were published posthumously from his manuscripts. One of his translators, Leonard Tancock (1959), regards the Maxims as "one of the most deeply felt, most intensely lived texts in French literature", with his "experience, his likes and dislikes, sufferings and petty spites ... crystallized into absolute truths."

In addition to the Maximes, La Rochefoucauld's MÉMOIRES (1662) recount his experiences during the political turmoil of the Fronde. Though less polished than his aphorisms, these memoirs provide valuable historical insight into the intrigues of seventeenth-century French aristocratic life. Together, his writings established La Rochefoucauld as one of the most perceptive observers of human motives and secured his lasting influence on later thinkers and writers.


The following books are in PDF and/or ePUB format as noted:

* Collected Maxims and Other Reflections [tr. Blackmore & Giguère] (Oxford, 2007) – ePUB / PDF
* Complete Works (Delphi Classics, 2024) – ePUB
* Maxims [tr. FitzGibbon] (Millington, 1978) – PDF
* Maxims [tr. Heard] (Dover, 2006) – ePUB / PDF
* Maxims [tr. Tancock] (Penguin, 1982) – ePUB
* Reflections, or Sentences and Moral Maxims [tr. Bund & Friswell] (Open Road, 2017) – ePUB


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