We often hear the teachers of all creeds lamenting the difficulty of keeping up in the minds of believers a lively apprehension of the truth which they nominally recognize, so that it may penetrate the feelings, and acquire a real mastery over the conduct.... When it has come to be a hereditary creed, and to be received passively, not actively ... there is a progressive tendency to forget all of the belief except the formularies ... until it almost ceases to connect itself at all with the inner life of the human being.

The disease which inflicts bureaucracy and what they usually die from is routine.

Strong impulses are but another name for energy. Energy may be turned to bad uses; but more good may always be made of an energetic nature, than of an indolent and impassive one.

Everyone who receives the protection of society owes a return for the benefit.

A population may be too crowded, though all be amply supplied with food and raiment. It is not good for a man to be kept perforce at all times in the presence of his species.

All that makes existence valuable to any one depends on the enforcement of restraints upon the actions of other people.

The philosophy of reasoning, to be complete, ought to comprise the theory of bad as well as of good reasoning.