He who wishes to exert a useful influence must be careful to insult nothing. Let him not be troubled by what seems absurd, but concentrate his energies to the creation of what is good. He must not demolish, but build. He must raise temples where mankind may come and partake of the purest pleasure.

Those that are firm in their will mold the world to themselves.

All sects seem to me to be right in what they assert, and wrong in what they deny.

In politics people throw themselves, as on a sickbed, from one side to the other in the belief they will lie more comfortably.

If nature is your teacher, your soul will awaken.

There is nothing outside of us that is not at the same time in us, and as the external world has its colors the eye, too, has colors.

Let us not dream that reason can ever be popular. Passions, emotions, may be made popular; but reason remains ever the property of an elect few.