Interest is the spur of the people, but glory that of great souls.

Luxury either comes of riches or makes them necessary; it corrupts at once rich and poor, the rich by possession and the poor by covetousness.

Teach your scholar to observe the phenomena of nature; you will soon rouse his curiosity, but if you would have it grow, do not be in too great a hurry to satisfy this curiosity. Put the problems before him and let him solve them himself. Let him know nothing because you have told him, but because he has learnt it for himself. Let him not be taught science, let him discover it. If ever you substitute authority for reason he will cease to reason; he will be a mere plaything of other people's thoughts.

The body politic, as well as the human body, begins to die as soon as it is born, and carries itself the causes of its destruction.

Although modesty is natural to man, it is not natural to children. Modesty only begins with the knowledge of evil.

There is no subjection so perfect as that which keeps the appearance of freedom.

I have never thought, for my part, that man's freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should not, by any human power, be forced to do what is against his will.