Humanism was not wrong in thinking that truth, beauty, liberty, and equality are of infinite value, but in thinking that man can get them for himself without grace.

Those who love a cause are those who love the life which has to be led in order to serve it.

As soon as men know that they can kill without fear of punishment or blame, they kill; or at least they encourage killers with approving smiles.

Contradiction is the lever of transcendence.

Justice consists in seeing that no harm is done to men. Whenever a man cries inwardly: 'Why am I being hurt?' harm is being done to him. He is often mistaken when he tries to define the harm, and why and by whom it is being inflicted on him. But the cry itself is infallible.

When a contradiction is impossible to resolve except by a lie, then we know that it is really a door.

We possess nothing in the world - a mere chance can strip us of everything - except the power to say 'I.