“The Crusades – the most signal and most durable monument of human folly that has yet appeared in any age or nation.”

Revolutions of government cannot be effected by the mere force of argument and reasoning.

No man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.

The identity that we ascribe to things is only a fictitious one, established by the mind, not a peculiar nature belonging to what we’re talking about.

Heaven and Hell suppose two distinct species of men, the good and bad.

The victory is not gained by the men at arms, who manage the pike and the sword; but by the trumpeters, drummers, and musicians of the army.

Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them

All sentiment is right; because sentiment has a reference to nothing beyond itself, and is always real, wherever a man is conscious of it.

He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper, but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to his circumstance.

The feelings of our heart, the agitation of our passions, the vehemence of our affections, dissipate all its conclusions, and reduce the profound philosopher to a mere plebeian.

We should never know how to adjust means to ends, or to employ our natural powers in the production of any effect. There would be an end at once of all action, as well as of the chief part of speculation.

We make allowance for a certain degree of selfishness in men; because we know it to be inseparable from human nature, and inherent in our frame and constitution. By this reflexion we correct those sentiments of blame, which so naturally arise upon any opposition.

Epicurus’s old questions are still unanswered: Is he (God) willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? then whence evil?

A purpose, an intention, a design, strikes everywhere even the careless, the most stupid thinker.

As every inquiry which regards religion is of the utmost importance, there are two questions in particular which challenge our attention, to wit, that concerning its foundation in reason, and that concerning it origin in human nature.

Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.

A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature.

What horrifies me most is the idea of being useless: well-educated, brilliantly promising, and fading out into an indifferent middle age.

The only transformer and alchemist that turns everything into gold is love. The only magic against death, aging, ordinary life, is love.

Often a very old man has no other proof of his long life than his age.

People want to find a meaning in everything and everyone. That’s the disease of our age.

Youth can not know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.

Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.

Youth has no age.

Thirty is a very good age for an actor: you can play both young and old men.