He who accepts life for what it is and never allows himself to be overwhelmed by it does not need to seek refuge for his crushed self-confidence in the solace of a 'saving lie'. If the longed-for success is not forthcoming, if the vicissitudes of fate destroy in the twinkling of an eye what had to be painstakingly built up by years of hard work, then he simply multiplies his exertions. He can look disaster in the eye without despairing.

Freedom and liberty always mean freedom from police interference.

The history of mankind is the history of ideas.

Human civilization is not something achieved against nature; it is rather the outcome of the working of the innate qualities of man.

He who acts under an emotional impulse also acts. What distinguishes an emotional action from other actions is the valuation of input and output. Emotions disarrange valuations. Inflamed with passion, man sees the goal as more desirable and the price he has to pay for it as less burdensome than he would in cool deliberation.

The first socialists were the intellectuals; they, and not the masses, are the backbone of Socialism.

The distinctive principle of Western social philosophy is individualism.