Minor figures of the 18th century can offer lessons to today’s rulers about the deep and shallow conditions of virtually any nation. René-Louis de Voyer, Marquis d’Argençon (1694-1757) was an early Enlightenment figure, friend of Voltaire, and briefly minister to Louis XV.
In his memoirs he wrote (Vol. 5, p. 372, 1858 edition)–My translation follows the original French.
It’s the best party. People don’t need society and environment. Et nous, ne les envions point si elles s’enrichsent : ant mieux pour elles et aussi pour nous; De rules argent. Abominable principe que seruy des ne voloirs notres grandeurs que par lavisment des nous voisins! I will not cheat or cheat to satisfy myself in principle, nor can I object to it.
Laissez-faire, morbre! Laissez-faire!
It’s time to make that choice. All other countries hate and envy us. But even if they become rich, let’s not envy them. It’s good for them and it’s good for us. They will receive more of our product and bring us more of their product and their money. It is a despicable principle to desire greatness for ourselves only by degrading our neighbors. This principle satisfies only the wickedness and malice of the heart, and the interest is its opposite.
Laissez-faire, for God’s sake! Laissez-faire!
We should forgive d’Argencon’s collectivist language (e.g. hating “the people”). In this respect, he is not inferior to most of today’s rulers and “their” people.
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DALL-E got my idea of imagining D’Argençon on the first try, but there were a lot of mistakes, including a candle dangerously close to a bookshelf and an anachronistic desk lamp. No doubt historians of 18th-century France will discover other anachronisms. D’Argencon, who was about 45 when he wrote the quoted passage, also looks a little younger (though I don’t remember exactly what he looked like at that age). He doesn’t even look like the real Dargencon, but that’s standard practice for Darui. Additionally, the robot made a typo in “morbleu” and couldn’t get “him” to correct it. Still not bad for a virtual machine. Certainly better than a pocket calculator. Perhaps he should run for office?
How DALL-E imagines Dargençon, major anachronism and typo of “morbleu”
