F — Fausseté des vertus humaines
Original French
Quand le Duc de la Rochefoucault eut écrit ses pensées sur l’amour propre, & qu’il eut mis à découvert ce ressort de l’homme, un monsieur Esprit, de l’oratoire, écrivit un livre captieux, intitulé, De la fausseté des vertus humaines. Cet Esprit dit qu’il n’y a point de vertu; mais par grace il termine chaque chapitre en renvoyant à la charité chrétienne. Ainsi selon le sieur Esprit; ni Caton, ni Aristide, ni Marc-Aurèle, ni Epictète, n’étaient des gens de bien; mais on n’en peut trouver que chez les chrétiens. Parmi les chrétiens il n’y a de vertu que chez les catholiques; parmi les catholiques, il falait encor en excepter les jésuites, ennemis des oratoriens; partant la vertu ne se trouvait guères que chez les ennemis des jésuites.
Ce Mr. Esprit commence par dire, que la prudence n’est pas une vertu; & sa raison est qu’elle est souvent trompée. C’est comme si on disait que César n’était pas un grand capitaine, parce qu’il fut battu à Dirrachium.
Si Mr. Esprit avait été philosophe, il n’aurait pas examiné la prudence comme une vertu, mais comme un talent, comme une qualité utile, heureuse; car un scélérat peut être très-prudent, & j’en ai connu de cette espèce. O la rage de prétendre que
Nul n’aura de vertu que nous & nos amis!
Qu’est-ce que la vertu, mon ami? C’est de faire du bien. Fai nous en, & cela suffit. Alors nous te ferons grace du motif. Quoi! selon toi, il n’y aura nulle différence entre le Président de Thou, & Ravaillac? entre Cicéron & ce Popilius auquel il avait sauvé la vie, & qui lui coupa la tête pour de l’argent? & tu déclareras Epictète & Porphire des coquins, pour n’avoir pas suivi nos dogmes? Une telle insolence révolte. Je n’en dirai pas davantage, car je me mettrais en colère.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation of the 73 articles in the 1764 first edition, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
When the Duke de La Rochefoucauld had written his thoughts on self-love and laid bare this spring of human action, a certain Mr. Esprit of the Oratory wrote a specious book entitled On the Falsity of Human Virtues. This Esprit says there is no virtue; but as a favor he ends each chapter by referring us to Christian charity. Thus, according to Mr. Esprit, neither Cato, Aristides, Marcus Aurelius, nor Epictetus was a good man: good men can be found only among Christians. Among Christians only Catholics possess virtue; among Catholics he must further except the Jesuits, enemies of the Oratorians. Consequently, virtue was scarcely to be found except among the Jesuits’ enemies.
This Mr. Esprit begins by saying that prudence is not a virtue; his reason is that it is often deceived. One might as well say Caesar was not a great captain because he was defeated at Dyrrhachium.
Had Mr. Esprit been a philosopher, he would have examined prudence not as a virtue, but as a talent, a useful, fortunate quality; for a villain can be very prudent, and I have known some of that kind. Oh, the mania for maintaining that
No one shall have virtue but ourselves and our friends!
What is virtue, my friend? Doing good. Do us some, and that is enough. Then we shall overlook your motive. What! According to you, there will be no difference between President de Thou and Ravaillac? Between Cicero and that Popilius whose life he had saved, who cut off his head for money? And will you declare Epictetus and Porphyry scoundrels for not having followed our doctrines? Such insolence is revolting. I shall say no more, for I should lose my temper.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English translation of the same 73 articles, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
The Duke de La Rochefoucauld wrote his thoughts about self-love, showing how it makes people tick. After that, a Mr. Esprit from the Oratory wrote a deceptive book, The Falseness of Human Virtues. Esprit says virtue doesn’t exist. Kindly enough, though, he ends every chapter by directing us to Christian charity. On his account, Cato wasn’t a good man. Neither were Aristides, Marcus Aurelius, or Epictetus. Only Christians can be good. And only Catholics among the Christians have virtue. Even among Catholics, the Jesuits have to be left out: they’re the Oratorians’ enemies. That leaves virtue almost entirely to the Jesuits’ enemies.
Esprit starts by denying that prudence is a virtue, because it often gets things wrong. You might as well deny Caesar was a great commander because he lost at Dyrrhachium.
A philosopher wouldn’t have treated prudence as a virtue, as Esprit did. He’d have seen it as a talent, a useful quality that brings good results. A scoundrel can be very prudent. I’ve known men like that. What a mania, to claim that
Nobody but us and our friends will have virtue!
My friend, what does virtue mean? It means doing good. Do something good for us. That’s enough; we won’t trouble you about your motive. What? Do you really see no difference between President de Thou and Ravaillac? Or between Cicero and Popilius? Cicero saved that man’s life, and the man cut off his head for money. Will you call Epictetus and Porphyry crooks because they didn’t accept our beliefs? It’s outrageous to be that insulting. I’d better stop, or I’ll lose my temper.
About this section
F — Fausseté des vertus humaines is part of Pocket Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is article 40 of 73 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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