Renaissance Philosophy: The Art of Worldly Wisdom; Reflections: Or, Sentences and Moral Maxims; and Maxims and Reflections

Baltasar Gracián · François Duc De La Rochefoucauld · Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

apr 2017 · Open Road Media

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Wisdom for today’s world from three great thinkers of the Renaissance era.

This collection of three philosophical works by Renaissance men offers timeless advice on how to prosper and live morally in business, romance, religion, and society. Although written in the Renaissance era, these guides still resonate today and are collected here for easy reference.
 
In The Art of Worldly Wisdom, Baltasar Gracián advises people of all walks of life how to approach political, professional, and personal situations in a dog-eat-dog world. Comprised of three hundred pithy aphorisms, this influential work of philosophy offers thought-provoking and accessible advice. Some subjects include “Never Compete,” “The Art of Letting Things Alone,” and “Anticipate Injuries and Turn Them into Favours.”
 
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims by François de La Rochefoucauld offers hundreds of brief, brutally honest observations of humankind and its self-serving nature. The perfect read for any realist—or anyone with the desire to evaluate their moral standing—this edition includes three supplements with additional maxims and essays.
 
In Maxims and Reflections, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe takes a detour from his usual literary endeavors and offers snippets of his musings on life, literature, science, nature, politics, and the human condition. Essential for fans of Goethe’s works, it provides unique insight into the mind of the last true Renaissance man.
 
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Baltasar Gracián (1601–1658) was a Spanish prose writer, philosopher, and an active Jesuit. Gracián acquired fame from preaching soon after taking his Jesuit vows. In 1651, he published the fist part of his allegorical novel El Critcón and the second in 1657, and as a result was exiled to Graus. Gracián then penned The Art of Worldly Wisdom, a collection of aphorisms that has maintained popularity since its initial publication. He is regarded as the most prominent and respected writer of the Spanish Baroque literary style, Conceptismo.

François Duc De La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marsillac (1613–1680) was a French author best known for his memoirs and pithy maxims. Rochefoucauld was born into wealth at a time when the French royal court threatened the noble class. As an adult, he was a leading rebel in these class wars. After the noblemen lost the war, Rochefoucauld wrote his memoirs and collections of aphorisms, many of which he published anonymously. He died of gout in 1680, and has remained an exemplar of the French noblesse.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was a German statesman and writer. He first received acclaim at the age of twenty-five with the success of his first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther. His works spearheaded Germany’s Sturm und Drang literary movement. The Sorrows of Young Werther had a profound cultural influence, inspiring young men to dress in the style of Werther.