If there were only turnips and potatoes in the world, someone would complain that plants grow the wrong way.

We now possess four principles of morality: 1) a philosophical: do good for its own sake, out of respect for the law; 2) a religious: do good because it is God's will, out of love of God; 3) a human: do good because it will promote your happiness, out of self-love; 4) a political: do good because it will promote the welfare of the society of which you are a part, out of love of society having regard to yourself. But is this not all one single principle, only viewed from different sides?

To make a vow is a greater sin than to break one.

One should never trust a person who, while assuring you of something, puts his hands on his heart.

Everyone is perfectly willing to learn from unpleasant experience - if only the damage of the first lesson could be repaired.

Good taste is either that which agrees with my taste or that which subjects itself to the rule of reason. From this we can see how useful it is to employ reason in seeking out the laws of taste.

It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard.