Honest investigation is utterly impossible within the pale of any church, for the reason, that if you think the church is right you will not investigate, and if you think it wrong, the church will investigate you.

The closer I'm bound in love to you, the closer I am to free.

Liberty cannot be sacrificed for the sake of anything.

At thirty most men have prejudices rather than opinions-that is to say, rather than judgments-and few men have lived to be sixty without materially modifying the opinions they held at thirty.

Why should we postpone our joy to another world? Let us get all we can of the good between the cradle and the grave, all that we can of the truly dramatic. If, when death comes, that is the end, we have at least made the best of this life.

They knew no better, but I do not propose to follow the example of a barbarian because he was honestly a barbarian.

The combined wisdom and genius of all mankind cannot possibly conceive of an argument against liberty of thought.