If therefore my work is negative, irreligious, atheistic, let it be remembered that atheism — at least in the sense of this work — is the secret of religion itself; that religion itself, not indeed on the surface, but fundamentally, not in intention or according to its own supposition, but in its heart, in its essence, believes in nothing else than the truth and divinity of human nature.

In the consciousness of the infinite, the conscious subject has for his object the infinity of his own nature.

What yesterday was still religion is no longer such today; and what today is atheism, tomorrow will be religion.

Is it man that possesses love, or is it not much rather love that possesses man?

It is not as in the Bible, that God created man in his own image. But, on the contrary, man created God in his own image.

The joys of theory are the sweetest intellectual pleasures of life

What else is the power of melody but the power of feeling? Music is the language of feeling; melody is audible feeling - feeling communicating itself.