No man has received from nature the right to give orders to others. Freedom is a gift from heaven, and every individual of the same species has the right to enjoy it as soon as he is in enjoyment of his reason.

It has been said that love robs those who have it of their wit, and gives it to those who have none.

There is only one virtue, justice; only one duty, to be happy; only one corollary, not to overvalue life and not to fear death.

Only God and some few rare geniuses can keep forging ahead into novelty.

The enjoyment of freedom which could be exercised without any motivation would be the real hallmark of a maniac.

One must be oneself very little of a philosopher not to feel that the finest privilege of our reason consists in not believing in anything by the impulsion of a blind and mechanical instinct, and that it is to dishonour reason to put it in bonds as the Chaldeans did. Man is born to think for himself.

Passions destroy more prejudices than philosophy does.