La Rochefoucauld's "Maxims" in the Literary and linguistic context of the Epoch

Abstract

The subject of the study is "Maxims and moral reflections" by Francois IV de La Rochefoucauld — a collection of aphorisms, first published in 1665 and became one of the most significant works of French classical literature of the XVII century. The question of the originality of this work, as well as its place in the literary tradition of the era, remains, nevertheless, open. The purpose of this article is an attempt to synthesize existing points of view on the originality of "Maxim". The method of research is the lexical and stylistic analysis of the collection and its correlation with the traditions of the era, as well as the requirements for form and content imposed on classical works. A special contribution of the author to the study of the topic is the appeal to a wide range of works and the multidimensional nature of the study of the issue. Although many researchers still turn to the history of the genre and the historical context to find sources that influenced the content of the collection, quite little remains said about the language design of "Maxim" and their relationship with the normative works of the era. In the course of this analysis, we have established that, although the "Maxims" correspond to the canons of a classic work, they are the result of a complex synthesis of a wide range of phenomena. Their writing was influenced by the historical context, beliefs and habits of the French secular elite, the literary tradition of the previous era and the philosophical works of the author's contemporaries. Thus, we come to the conclusion that La Rochefoucauld's specific vision of the world, which in some aspects does not correspond to the generally accepted worldview of the era, is more than a tribute to fashion or a simple imitation.