The Maxims

For more than three centuries, La Rochefoucauld’s Maxims have cut through the polite fictions we tell ourselves, revealing the self-interest and vanity that so often drive our noblest deeds. Yet the original seventeenth-century French can feel distant to today’s reader. This Modern Reader’s Edition strips away the archaic phrasing and dense period style, offering La Rochefoucauld’s razor-sharp observations in clear, present-day English. Each maxim retains its original wit and sting—from the famous claim that our virtues are often only vices in disguise to the quieter truths about friendship, love, and aging. The book is organized thematically to help you explore the author’s recurring preoccupations: self-love, the passions, fortune, society, and the masks we wear. Whether you are new to this classic or returning to it, you will find a mirror held up to human nature that is as uncomfortable as it is illuminating. Part of The Modern Wisdom Library.