From such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing straight can be fashioned.

For how is it possible, says that acute man, that when a concept is given me, I can go beyond it and connect with it another which is not contained in it, in such a manner as if that latter necessarily belonged to the former?

Freedom is independence of the compulsory will of another, and in so far as it tends to exist with the freedom of all according to a universal law, it is the one sole original inborn right belonging to every man in virtue of his humanity.

The bad thing of war is, that it makes more evil people than it can take away.

It is not God's will merely that we should be happy, but that we should make ourselves happy

Only the descent into the hell of self-knowledge can pave the way to godliness.

With men, the state of nature is not a state of peace, but war.