The world is the house of the strong.

If reason be a gift of Heaven, and we can say as much of faith, Heaven has certainly made us two gifts not only incompatible, but in direct contradiction to each other. In order to solve the difficulty, we are compelled to say either that faith is a chimera or that reason is useless.

A nation which thinks that it is belief in God and not good law which makes people honest does not seem to me very advanced.

What has not been examined impartially has not been well examined. Skepticism is therefore the first step towards truth.

All children are essentially criminal.

A thing is not proved just because no one has ever questioned it. What has never been gone into impartially has never been properly gone into. Hence scepticism is the first step toward truth. It must be applied generally, because it is the touchstone.

When we know to read our own hearts, we acquire wisdom of the heartsof others.