ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

French moralists

French moralists were a group of people who lived a long time ago in France and they liked to write about how to be a good person. They wrote books and essays with stories and ideas that helped people understand how to live their lives in a good way. They wanted people to be kind, honest and do the right thing.

Imagine if you went to school and your teacher told you stories about how to be a good person. The French moralists did something similar, but instead of just teaching kids in school, they wrote stories and essays that were aimed at adults as well.

The French moralists were very smart and thoughtful people. They believed that being a good person is really important for living a happy life. They thought that people should do good things not because they have to, but because it's the right thing to do.

In their writings, French moralists talked about things like honesty, kindness, friendship, and love. They believed that people should always tell the truth, even when it's hard. They also thought that people should help others when they are in need because it's the right thing to do.

The French moralists were influential philosophers and thinkers of their time. Their work helped shape moral and ethical perspectives in French society, and their ideas continue to be studied and debated by scholars today.