I have not the hope of being immortal, because the desire of it has not given me that vanity.

If your little savage were left to himself and be allowed to retain all his ignorance, he would in time join the infant's reasoning to the grown man's passion, he would strangle his father and sleep with his mother.

All things must be examined, debated, investigated without exception and without regard for anyone's feelings.

If there were a reason for preferring the Christian religion to natural religion, it would be because the former offers us, on the nature of God and man, enlightenment that the latter lacks. Now, this is not at all the case; for Christianity, instead of clarifying, gives rise to an infinite multitude of obscurities and difficulties.

All children are essentially criminal.

You risk just as much in being credulous as in being suspicious.

Oh! how near are genius and madness! Men imprison them and chain them, or raise statues to them.