As the past has ceased to throw its light upon the future, the mind of man wanders in obscurity.

I studied the Quran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Muhammad. As far as I can see, it is the principal cause of the decadence so visible today in the Muslim world and, though less absurd than the polytheism of old, its social and political tendencies are in my opinion more to be feared, and I therefore regard it as a form of decadence rather than a form of progress in relation to paganism itself.

Men living in democratic times have many passions, but most of their passions either end in the love of riches, or proceed from it.

Equality is a slogan based on envy. It signifies in the heart of every republican: "Nobody is going to occupy a place higher than I."

I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.

There is no philosopher in the world so great but he believes a million things on the faith of other people and accepts a great many more truths than he demonstrates.

Consider any individual at any period of his life, and you will always find him preoccupied with fresh plans to increase his comfort.