The imagination of man is naturally sublime, delighted with whatever is remote and extraordinary, and running, without control, into the most distant parts of space and time in order to avoid the objects, which custom has rendered too familiar to it.

Self-denial is a monkish virtue.

The gazing populace receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition and promotes wonder.

Moving from an objective statement of fact to a subjective statement of value does not work, because it leaves open questions that have not been answered.

Nothing appears more surprising to those, who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye, than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few; and the implicit submission, with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers.

All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it is virtuous; and when the neglect or nonperformance of it displeases us after a like manner, we say that we lie under an obligation to perform it.

It is... a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.