The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully.

In the blood of the martyrs to intolerance are the seeds of unbelief

Our conscience is not the vessel of eternal verities. It grows with our social life, and a new social condition means a radical change in conscience.

Unless democracy is to commit suicide by consenting to its own destruction, it will have to find some formidable answer to those who come to it saying: I demand from you in the name of your principles the rights which I shall deny to you later in the name of my principles.

Democracy is much too important to be left to public opinion.

Almost always tradition is nothing but a record and a machine-made imitation of the habits that our ancestors created.

When philosophers try to be politicians they generally cease to be philosophers.