Franois

French writer and moralist of the 17th century

6 quotes in the MindQuotes library.

About

François VI, Duke of La Rochefoucauld, was a French writer and moralist, born in Paris in 1613 and died in 1680. He is famous for his Maxims, first published in 1665, which explore self-love as the hidden motive of human actions. Involved in the Fronde, he drew on it for his Memoirs. A member of literary circles, he associated with Mme de Sablé and Mme de La Fayette.

Major works

  • Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales (1665)maxims
  • Mémoires (1664)memoirs

Key milestones

  • 1637Briefly imprisoned in the Bastille for intrigues against Richelieu.
  • 1665Publication of the first edition of the Maxims.
  • 1678Definitive edition of the Maxims, containing 504 maxims.

Themes

self-lovehuman naturemoralitycourt societydisillusionment

Sources: britannica.com · catalogue.bnf.fr