Men do not desire to be rich, but to be richer than other men.

When the people are too much attached to savage independence, to be tolerant of the amount of power to which it is for their good that they should be subject, the state of society is not yet ripe for representative government.

What distinguishes the majority of men from the few is their inability to act according to their beliefs.

The individual is not accountable to society for his actions in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself.

On religion in particular the time appears to me to have come when it is the duty of all who, being qualified in point of knowledge, have on mature consideration satisfied themselves that the current opinions are not only false but hurtful, to make their dissent known.

Is there any moral enormity which might not be justified by imitation of such a Deity?

Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.