He who has religion will speak poetry. But philosophy is the tool with which to seek and discover religion.

It is peculiar to mankind to transcend mankind.

God is each truly and exalted thing, therefore the individual himself to the highest degree. But are not nature and the world individuals?

Versatility of education can be found in our best poetry, but the depth of mankind should be found in the philosopher.

The difference between religion and morality lies simply in the classical division of things into the divine and the human, if one only interprets this correctly.

Beauty is that which is simultaneously attractive and sublime.

If the essence of cynicism consists in preferring nature to art, virtue to beauty and science; in not bothering about the letter of things -- to which the Stoic strictly adheres -- but in looking up to the spirit of things; in absolute contempt of all economic values and political splendor, and in courageous defence of the rights of independent freedom; then Christianity would be nothing but universal cynicism.