Religions do a useful thing: they narrow God to the limits of man. Philosophy replies by doing a necessary thing: it elevates man to the plane of God.

In saying no to progress, it is not the future which they condemn, but themselves. They give themselves a melancholy disease; they inoculate themselves with the past. There is but one way of refusing tomorrow, that is to die.

Genius is rare because the means of becoming one have not been available

Every step which the intelligence of Europe has taken has been in spite of the clerical party.

What matters deafness of the ear, when the mind hears? The one true deafness, the incurable deafness, is that of the mind.

By putting forward the hands of the clock you shall not advance the hour.

Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.