Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes


We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.


Citations

La Rochefoucauld, François de. Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims. Translated by J. W. Willis Bund and J. Hain Friswell, Sampson Low, Son, and Marston, 1871, Maxim 186.

Related Quotes

This is one of the proverbs of King Solomon of the Jews, son of King David.


Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910. From the point of view of the person or company that bribes or gives campaign contributions to legislators, there has often been a problem that when the heat is on the legislator might begin to refrain from voting as was expected. Twain was joking in this quotation by using the world “morality” to describe the obligation of the legislator to vote for the interest of the briber or campaign contributor. However, there were several major businessmen who actually saw the bribed legislator as having a moral and ethical duty to continue to protect the interest of the briber.


Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
  • Born: September 15, 1613
  • Died: March 17, 1680
  • Nationality: French
  • Profession: Writer

François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac was a noted French moralist and author of maxims and memoirs. He is part of the literary movement of classicism and best known for his maxims. Although he only officially published his Memoirs and his Maxims, his literary production is dense.