Where the laws are not supreme, there demagogues spring up.

Of governments there are said to be only two forms - democracy and oligarchy. For aristocracy is considered to be a kind of oligarchy, as being the rule of a few, and the so-called constitutional government to be really a democracy.

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.

Since the branch of philosophy on which we are at present engaged differs from the others in not being a subject of merely intellectual interest — I mean we are not concerned to know what goodness essentially is, but how we are to become good men, for this alone gives the study its practical value — we must apply our minds to the solution of the problems of conduct.

When the looms spin by themselves, we'll have no need for slaves.

Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

Not to know of what things one should demand demonstration, and of what one should not, argues want of education.