A philospher sees the Earth as a large planet, travelling through the heavens, covered with fools

Nothing can be more destructive to ambition, and the passion for conquest, than the true system of astronomy. What a poor thing is even the whole globe in comparison of the infinite extent of nature!

In vain we shall penetrate more and more deeply the secrets of the structure of the human body, we shall not dupe nature; we shall die as usual.

To be happy, one must have a good stomach and a bad heart.

Behold a universe so immense that I am lost in it. I no longer know where I am. I am just nothing at all. Our world is terrifying in its insignificance.

If I held all the thoughts of the world in my hand, I would be careful not to open it.

People almost always do great things without knowing how to do them, and are quite surprised to have done them.