Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains. Those who think themselves the masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they.

A man speaks of what he knows, a woman of what pleases her: the one requires knowledge, the other taste.

There are two things to be considered with regard to any scheme. In the first place, Is it good in itself? In the second, Can it be easily put into practice?

The mechanism she employs is much more powerful than ours, for all her levers move the human heart.

If there were a people consisting of gods, they would be governed democratically. So perfect a government is not suitable to men.

Once you teach people to say what they do not understand, it is easy enough to get them to say anything you like.

Our greatest misfortunes come to us from ourselves.