All friendly feelings toward others come from the friendly feelings a person has for himself.

It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs, but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and reason, when the use of rational speech is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs.

We ought, so far as it lies within our power, to aspire to immortality, and do all that we can to live in conformity with the highest that is within us; for even if it is small in quantity, in power and preciousness, it far excels all the rest.

Happiness is the highest good

And, speaking generally, passion seems not to be amenable to reason, but only to force.

The misanthrope, as an essentially solitary man, is not a man at all: he must be a beast or a god.

Man perfected by society is the best of all animals; he is the most terrible of all when he lives without law, and without justice.