Truth is a mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, anthropomorphisms, in short a sum of human relations which have been subjected to poetic and rhetorical intensification, translation and decoration […]; truths are illusions of which we have forgotten that they are illusions, metaphors which have become worn by frequent use and have lost all sensuous vigour […]. Yet we still do not know where the drive to truth comes from, for so far we have only heard about the obligation to be truthful which society imposes in order to exist" from, "On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense".

Scholars who become politicians are usually assigned the comic role of having to be the good conscience of state policy.

One hears - one does not seek; one takes - one does not ask who gives.

There exists above the "productive" man a yet higher species.

Ten truths must you find during the day; otherwise will you seek truth during the night, and your soul will have been hungry.

The doctrine of equality! There exists no more poisonous poison: for it seems to be preached by justice itself, while it is the end of justice.

Pitch-black winter nights live in my bones.