The institution of representative government to us seems an essential part of democracy, but the ancients never thought of it. Its immense merit was that it enabled a large constituency to exert indirect power, and thus made possible the distribution of political responsibility throughout the great states of modern times.

With the introduction of agriculture mankind entered upon a long period of meanness, misery, and madness, from which they are only now being freed by the beneficent operation of the machine.

What the world needs is not dogma but an attitude of scientific inquiry.

Ideas and principles that do harm are as a rule, though not always, cloaks for evil passions.

In our complex world, there cannot be fruitful initiative without government, but unfortunately there can be government without initiative.

Next to enjoying ourselves, the next greatest pleasure consists in preventing others from enjoying themselves, or, more generally, in the acquisition of power.

Humanistic ethics is based on the principle that only humans themselves can determine the criterion for virtue and not an authority transcending us.