Even if man's hunger and thirst and his sexual strivings are completely satisfied, 'he' is not satisfied. In contrast to the animal his most compelling problems are not solved then, they only begin. He strives for power or for love, or for destruction, he risks his life for religious, for political, for humanistic ideals, and these strivings are what constitutes and characterizes the peculiarity of human life.

Human history begins with man's act of disobedience which is at the same time the beginning of his freedom and the development of his reason.

In the nineteenth century the problem was that God is dead. In the twentieth century the problem is that man is dead.

It is notorious that no war between countries elicits as much hate and cruelty as civil war, in which there is no lack of acquaintance between the two warring sides.

I am convinced that boredom is one of the greatest tortures. If I were to imagine Hell, it would be the place where you were continually bored.

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.

The paradoxical and tragic situation of man is that his conscience is weakest when he needs it most.