La Rochefoucauld §laroch_003: Whatever discoveries have been made in the region of self-love, there remain ...

Whatever discoveries have been made in the region of self-love, there remain many unexplored territories there. [This is the first hint of the system the author tries to develope. He wishes to find in vice a motive for all our actions, but this does not suffice him; he is obliged to call other passions to the help of his system and to confound pride, vanity, interest and egotism with self love. This confusion destroys the unity of his principle.--Aime Martin.]