Humanity may endure the loss of everything; all its possessions may be turned away without infringing its true dignity - all but the possibility of improvement.

Upon the progress of knowledge the whole progress of the human race is immediately dependent: he who retards that, hinders this also.

By philosophy the mind of man comes to itself, and from henceforth rests on itself without foreign aid, and is completely master of itself, as the dancer of his feet, or the boxer of his hands.

What sort of philosophy one chooses depends on what sort of person one is.

The schools must fashion the person, and fashion him in such a way that he simply cannot will otherwise than what you wish him to will.

We do not act because we know, but we know because we are called upon to act; the practical reason is the root of all reason.

I know what I can know, and am not troubled about what I cannot know.

Nothing is more destructive of individual character than for a man to lose all faith in his own abilities for the prosecution of his work.

To those who do not love God, all things must work together immediately for pain and torment, until, by means of the tribulation, they are led to salvation at last.

A man can do what he ought to do; and when he says he cannot, it is because he will not.

My mind can take no hold on the present world, nor rest in it a moment, but my whole nature rushes onward with irresistible force towards a future and better state of being.

These are nonviolent people who have lost their freedom simply because they expressed their ideas….In truth, they are heroes of our time.

You dropped a 500-seat deuce on Times Square.

The internet is just a passing fad.

GMOs could really land us in trouble

Value is a relative concept: the value of each action is determined by comparing it with other possible actions.

The only thing about sanctions is that, like a lot of drone strikes, there are countless unintended victims. Cutting off aid to Uganda only increases the pain there.

Keeping vigil over her are two monsters of very different breeds but monster just the same. Death on her left. Devil on her right.

I was angry and frightened, and I was scared. I knew what I had done. The whole night is my fault. None of this would have happened if I didn’t drink.

Bush, Blair and Rumsfeld; they are the funny trio.

Miracles are signs not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.