There is no real philosophy until the mind turns around and examines itself.

So I should say that civilizations begin with religion and stoicism: they end with scepticism and unbelief, and the undisciplined pursuit of individual pleasure. A civilization is born stoic and dies epicurean.

Which is now a more hopeful statement than Swift intended it to be.

Often your face is your autobiography

History repeats itself in the large because human nature changes with geological leisureliness.

India was the motherland of our race and Samskrit the mother of Europe 's languages...Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.

Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos.