'Til the infallibility of human judgements shall have been proved to me, I shall demand the abolition of the penalty of death.

One must do violence to the object of one's desire; when it surrenders, the pleasure is greater.

They declaim against the passions without bothering to think that it is from their flame philosophy lights its torch.

Is it not of the imagination that the sharpest pleasures arise?

Now I beg of you to tell me whether I must love a human being simply because he exists or resembles me and whether for those reasons alone I must suddenly prefer him to myself?

Conspiracy! Intrigue! A rapidly thickening plot! Add some bestiality and a lecherous priest and I'd say you have the beginnings of a beautiful novel.

All, all is theft, all is unceasing and rigorous competition in nature; the desire to make off with the substance of others is the foremost - the most legitimate - passion nature has bred into us and, without doubt, the most agreeable one.