Interest, upon which we commonly lay the Blame of all our ill Actions, oftentimes deserves the commendation due to our Good ones.
[L’intérêt, que l’on accuse de tous nos crimes, mérite souvent d’être loué de nos bonnes actions.]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶305 (1665-1678) [tr. Stanhope (1694)]
(Source)
This first appeared in the 3rd (1671) edition. See also ¶187, ¶253.
(Source (French)). Other translations:Interest, which is accused of all our crimes, often deserves to be praised for our good actions.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶315]Interest, which is accused of all our misdeeds, often should be praised for our good deeds.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶305]Self-interest, to which are ascribed all our crimes, should frequently be given the credit for our good deeds.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶305]Selfishness, which we blame for all our crimes, often deserves to be praised for our good deeds.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶305]Self-interest, blamed for all our misdeeds, often deserves credit for our good actions.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶305]Self-interest, which commonly takes the blame for all our crimes, often deserves praise for producing our good actions.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶305]
Quotations about:
enlightened self-interest
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
Self-interest will set all sorts of virtues and vices in motion.
[L’intérêt met en œuvre toutes sortes de vertus et de vices.]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶253 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957)]
(Source)
Present in the 1st (1665) edition. In the manuscript form it reads "L’intérêt donne toutes sortes de vertus et de vices."
See also ¶¶ 171, 305.
(Source (French)). Other translations:Interest is the Thing that puts Men upon Exercising their Vertues and Vices of All Kinds.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶254]Interest puts in motion all the virtues and vices.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶258; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶238]The virtues and vices are all set in motion by interest.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶225]Interest brings into play every sort of virtue and of vice.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶265]Interest sets at work all sorts of virtues and vices.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶253]Selfishness brings into play all manner of vices and virtues.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶261]Selfishness makes use of virtues and vices of every kind.
[tr. Stevens (1939), ¶253]Self-interest turns to account all kinds of virtues and vices.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶253]Self-interest sets in motion virtues and vices of all kinds.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶253]Self-interest puts in motion every kind of virtue and of vice.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶253]
It seems to me that it is the part of common sense for the world as a whole to protest in its own interest against wholesale persecution, because none of us by ourselves would be strong enough to stand against a big enough group which decided to treat us in the same way. We may have our individual likes and dislikes, but this is a question which far transcends prejudices or inclinations.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) First Lady of the US (1933–1945), politician, diplomat, activist
Column (1943-08-13), “My Day”
(Source)
On the persecution of Jews in Europe.
