Among the innumerable mortifications which waylay human arrogance on every side may well be reckoned our ignorance of the most common objects and effects, a defect of which we become more sensible by every attempt to supply it. Vulgar and inactive minds confound familiarity with knowledge and conceive themselves informed of the whole nature of things when they are shown their form or told their use; but the speculatist, who is not content with superficial views, harasses himself with fruitless curiosity, and still, as he inquires more, perceives only that he knows less. |
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. |
The true measure of a man
is how he treats someone
who can do him absolutely no good. |
They who most loudly clamour for liberty do not most liberally grant it. |
It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. |
Be not too hasty to trust or admire the teachers of morality; they discourse like angels but they live like men. |
Knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. |
Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intelligence. |
In order that all men might be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it. |
In questions of law or of fact conscience is very often confounded with opinion. No man’s conscience can tell him the rights of another man; they must be known by rational investigation or historical inquiry. |
Sir, I have found you an argument; but I am not obliged to find you an understanding. |
There is no crime more infamous than the violation of truth. It is apparent that men can be social beings no longer than they believe each other. When speech is employed only as the vehicle of falsehood, every man must disunite himself from others, inhabit his own cave and seek prey only for himself. |
Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. |
They make a rout about universal liberty, without considering that all that is to be valued, or indeed can be enjoyed by individuals, is private liberty. |
All theory is against freedom of the will; all experience for it. |
Courage is the first of all the virtues because if you haven't courage, you may not have the opportunity to use any of the others. |
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first overcome. |
The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. |
