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.

Philosophers conceive of the passions which harass us as vices into which men fall by their own fault, and, therefore, generally deride, bewail, or blame them, or execrate them, if they wish to seem unusually pious.

In the state of nature, wrong-doing is impossible ; or, if anyone does wrong, it is to himself, not to another.

Men are especially intolerant of serving and being ruled by, their equals.

Fame has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it, we must direct our lives so as to please the fancy of men.

All happiness or unhappiness solely depends upon the quality of the object to which we are attached by love.

Nothing in nature is by chance... Something appears to be chance only because of our lack of knowledge.