The world is the house of the strong. I shall not know until the end what I have lost or won in this place, in this vast gambling den where I have spent more than sixty years, dice box in hand, shaking the dice.

Does not vanity itself cease to be blamable, is it not even ennobled, when it is directed to laudable objects, when it confines itself to prompting us to great and generous actions?

All children are essentially criminal.

Fanaticism is just one step away from barbarism.

Passions destroy more prejudices than philosophy does.

Give, but, if possible, spare the poor man the shame of begging.

He whom we call a gentleman is no longer the man of Nature.