Charles Duclos - Considérations sur les moeurs de ce siècle - 1780

Charles Duclos (1704-1772). Considerations on the morals of this century. Sl, Prault, Durand, 1780, xii-392 pp.

A volume in 12mo (170x100 mm), full vellum, smooth gilt spine, red morocco title piece, marbled edges (binding of the period). Head cap partially shaved otherwise fine condition of the binding. Fresh interior, without foxing.

New edition adorned with a portrait of the author in the frontispiece and a plate outside the text.

Charles Duclos was historiographer of France between 1750 and 1772, succeeding Voltaire.

Charles Duclos examines the behaviors, values, and usages of his time. He is interested in social relations, education, the nobility, the bourgeoisie, court life, the salons, love, ambition, wealth, and the forms of social distinction. His objective is not to recount historical events, but to understand the mechanisms that govern morals and influence individuals’ conduct.

The author observes the transformations of eighteenth-century French society. He highlights the growing role of public opinion, the importance of money in social relations, and the weakening of certain traditional values.