Basic Verities is a collection of excerpts from the poetry and prose of Charles Péguy. First published in 1943, in the midst of the Nazi occupation of France, the volume arrived at a time when Péguy and his legacy had taken on a new significance for the French people. The spiritual and patriotic power of his writings gave a voice to the nation’s suffering and its yearning for the restoration of liberty and happiness. The selections in this volume examine truth and justice; poverty and capital; the honor and dignity of work; social rights and duties; and the distinctive characteristics of Judaism and Christianity, respectively.

Compiled and translated by Julian Green, Basic Verities embodies Charles Péguy’s lifelong desire for the twofold revolution of justice and mercy in the social order. 

“Péguy is recognized as the poet and representative of his people…a man for whom the deepest spiritual truth is approachable only through the heart and can be grasped only when embodied in the realities of this world.” (Albert Beguin)