So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.

He who thinks himself wise, O heavens! is a great fool.

All is a miracle. The stupendous order of nature, the revolution of a hundred millions of worlds around a million of stars, the activity of light, the life of all animals, all are grand and perpetual miracles.

It is clear that the individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of the same opinion, is a monster.

A circumstance which has always appeared wonderful to me, is that such sublime discoveries should have been made by the sole assistance of a quadrant and a little arithmetic.

Our priests are not what a silly populace supposes; all their learning consists in our credulity.

The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing.