by Krystle Hernandez

Created on: July 09, 2010

"Virtues, as we call them, are often a series of acts and interests which chance, or our own diligence, has arranged.  Men are not always brave because courageous, nor women chaste because virtuous." - LaRochefoucaul, Maxim No. 1

At first glance, these brief sentences are simple and straightforward.  But, upon further inspection, and when approached with an open mind, many, if not most, of La Rochefoucauld's maxims' meanings are as complex and layered as human nature itself.  La Rochefoucauld’s Maxims is a short collection of quotations and snippets of candid, and often ironic, thoughts by this great philosopher and wordsmith.

Francois Duc de La Rochefoucauld’s original French edition, titled “Reflexions ou sentences et maximes morales” was first published in 1665; however, the Duc subsequently continued to add and edit the maxims until his death, decades later in 1680.  The Dover Books edition, translated by John Heard, Jr., is perhaps my favorite.  The first publication of the Dover Books edition was produced in 2006, and was an unabridged republication of “Maxims of Le Duc de La Rochefoucauld” that was first published in 1917 by the Houghton Mifflin Company at The Riverside Press in Cambridge, Massachusetts.   The 2006 Dover Books edition opens with a short essay written by the Duc himself, titled “Sketch of the Duc de La Rochefoucauld” which offers a brief glimpse into the author’s philosophical mind.

With approximately 500 maxims included within the editions short 80 pages readers will find themselves quickly devouring these insightful, humorous, and emotionally-provoking sentences.  La Rochefoucauld’s brilliant ability to string together common, natural language to create deeply rich philosophical messages that are certain to leave some readers thrilled to know that someone else shares their sentiments about arguably universal issues such as love, morality, and friendships.  By the same token, other readers are bound to find themselves outraged at the directness and, sometimes, arrogance of the author, which resonate throughout the collection of maxims.

Although sentiments about the maxims themselves will vary from sentence to sentence, and although readers are certain to form their own opinions, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with La Rochefoucauld, his ability to describe, examine, criticize, and celebrate human nature is incredibly brilliant.  Without a doubt, it is not surprising that these few sentences have survived the test of time and have continued to impact readers centuries after the Duc pondered the words and their various meanings himself.

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