“No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man who does not want to adopt a rational attitude.”

Our knowledge can only be finite, while our ignorance must necessarily be infinite.

If we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.

The conspiracy theory of society, comes from abandoning God and then asking: “Who is in his place?”

It is complete nihilism to propose laying down arms in a world where atom bombs are around. It is very simple: there is no way of achieving peace other than with weapons.

The future depends on ourselves, and we do not depend on any historical necessity.

Theories are nets cast to catch what we call ‘the world’: to rationalize, to explain, and to master it. We endeavor to make the mesh ever finer and finer.

We may become the makers of our fate when we have ceased to pose as its prophets.

Those who promise us paradise on earth never produced anything but hell.

No book can ever be finished. While working on it we learn just enough to find it immature the moment we turn away from it

The most we can say of democracy or freedom is that they give our personal abilities a little more influence on our well-being.

It is not the consciousness of man that determines his existence – rather, it is his social existence that determines his consciousness.

It is wrong to think that belief in freedom always leads to victory; we must always be prepared for it to lead to defeat. If we choose freedom, then we must be prepared to perish along with it.

The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.

Always remember that it is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood: there will always be some who misunderstand you.

We must regard all laws or theories as hypothetical or conjectural; that is, as guesses.

True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.

Time spent arguing with the faithful is, oddly enough, almost never wasted.

We must reinforce argument with results.

An argument may remove doubt, but only the Holy Spirit can convict of truth.

I even accept for the sake of argument that sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged.

I’ve never won an argument with my wife; and the only time I thought I had I found out the argument wasn’t over yet.

If you prayed as much as you complain and quarrel, you’d have a lot less to argue about and much more peace of mind.

Intelligence is measured by a person’s ability to see validity within both sides of contradicting arguments.

Happiness is allowing yourself to be okay with what is, rather than wishing for, and bemoaning, what is not. Obviously, what is is what is supposed to be, or it would not be. The rest is just you, arguing with life.