Two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity.

The so-called paradoxes of an author, to which a reader takes exception, often exist not in the author's book at all, but rather in the reader's head.

An important species of pleasure, and therewith the source of morality, arises out of habit.

If an architect wants to strengthen a decrepit arch, he increases the load laid upon it, for thereby the parts are joined more firmly together.

The only excuse for God is that he doesn't exist.

One will seldom go wrong if one attributes extreme actions to vanity, average ones to habit, and pretty ones to fear.

Completely true to nature!' - what a lie: / How could nature ever be constrained into a picture? / The smallest bit of nature is infinite! / And so he paints what he likes about it. / And what does he like? He likes what he can paint!