Desire and force between them are responsible for all our actions; desire causes our voluntary acts, force our involuntary.

And is it not obvious that, just as it is a crime to disturb the peace when truth reigns, it is also a crime to remain at peace when the truth is being destroyed?

The statements of atheists ought to be perfectly clear of doubt. Now it is not perfectly clear that the soul is material.

The mind of the greatest man on earth is not so independent of circumstances as not to feel inconvenienced by the merest buzzing noise about him; it does not need the report of a cannon to disturb his thoughts. The creaking of a vane or a pully is quite enough. Do not wonder that he reasons ill just now; a fly is buzzing by his ear; it is quite enough to unfit him for giving good counsel.

When malice has reason on its side, it looks forth bravely, and displays that reason in all its luster. When austerity and self-denial have not realized true happiness, and the soul returns to the dictates of nature, the reaction is fearfully extravagant.

The last advance of reason is to recognize that it is surpassed by innumerable things; it is feeble if it cannot realize that.

Few men speak humbly of humility, chastely of chastity, skeptically of skepticism.