Stéphan Vaquero's Study of Baltasar Gracián's Baroque Ethics

A new study by Stéphan Vaquero examines the ethical foundations of Baltasar Gracián's work. Gracián (1601-1658), a Spanish Jesuit described by Lacan as a 'star of first magnitude,' explored the intricacies of social life. In his first book, The Hero (1637), he proposed a 'reason of state of oneself,' suggesting individuals should behave like a state in their relation to self and others. Vaquero's analysis highlights Gracián's view of civility as 'an art of living in society, not a categorical morality.' The study emphasizes the balance between common norms of 'good taste' and personal taste, requiring prudence and strategic self-calculation. Gracián wrote, 'the greatest rule of life is to know how to deviate.' Vaquero's reading of The Art of Prudence shows that Gracián's thought provides a perspective on the individual's dual relationship to self and others, prefiguring civil society and determining normativity. The study was published by PUF and reviewed by Vincent Roy.