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 greater emotion with which we conceive a loved object to be affected toward us, the greater will be our complacency.

I shall consider human actions and desires in exactly the same manner, as though I were concerned with lines, planes and solids.

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not.

Only that thing is free which exists by the necessities of its own nature, and is determined in its actions by itself alone.

Except God no substance can be granted or conceived. .. Everything, I say, is in God, and all things which are made, are made by the laws of the infinite nature of God, and necessarily follows from the necessity of his essence.

[Believers] are but triflers who, when they cannot explain a thing, run back to the will of God; this is, truly, a ridiculous way of expressing ignorance.