I hate books; they only teach people to talk about what they don't understand.

In any case, frequent punishments are a sign of weakness or slackness in the government. There is no man so bad that he cannot be made good for something. No man should be put to death, even as an example, if he can be left to live without danger to society.

I loved too sincerely, too completely, I venture to say, to be able to be happy easily.

The English people think they are free; they are greatly deceived; they are free only during the election of members of Parliament.

To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man, to surrender the rights of humanity and even its duties. For he who renounces everything no indemnity is possible. Such a renunciation is incompatible with man's nature; to remove all liberty from his will is to remove all morality from his acts.

It is in man's heart that the life of nature's spectacle exists; to see it, one must feel it.

In a well governed state, there are few punishments, not because there are many pardons, but because criminals are rare; it is when a state is in decay that the multitude of crimes is a gaurantee of impunity.