“I would rather find a single causal law than be the king of Persia!”

I hold that he who teaches that not reason but love should rule opens up the way for those who rule by hate.

Great men may make great mistakes.

What we need and what we want is to moralize politics, not to politicize morals.

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.

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

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.

There are both things in international law: the principle of territorial integrity and right to self-determination.

Japan will calmly proceed with its activities in line with international law.

The law of loving others could not be discovered by reason, because it is unreasonable.

I am not the law, but I represent justice so far as my feeble powers go.

Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.

If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.

Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.

Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.