The greatest secret of monarchic rule...is to keep men deceived and to cloak in the specious name of religion the fear by which they must be checked, so that they will fight for slavery as they would for salvation, and will think it not shameful, but a most honorable achievement, to give their life and blood that one man may have a ground for boasting.

The highest endeavor of the mind, and the highest virtue, it to understand things by intuition.

Nothing in the universe is contingent, but all things are conditioned to exist and operate in a particular manner by the necessity of the divine nature.

A free man, who lives among ignorant people, tries as much as he can to refuse their benefits. .. He who lives under the guidance of reason endeavours as much as possible to repay his fellow's hatred, rage, contempt, etc. with love and nobleness.

The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things.

The greatest good is the knowledge of the union which the mind has with the whole nature.

In so far as the mind sees things in their eternal aspect, it participates in eternity.