'Contract' succeeded 'status' as the basic organising principle in modern political vs. ancient society.

The Epicureans denied that the gods had created the world and also denied that they played any role in it.

The higher the coefficient of inequality (Gini coefficient) in a society, the worse things tend to be for those at the bottom.

I have to say that some philosophers such as the late Bernard Williams, and I would include myself in this group, would say that tranquillity is overrated as the goal of life.

We have to gamble, and sometimes lose as George Ainslie argues; this keeps the appetite for life sharp.

Atomism had no absolute 'above' and 'below' and no such rulers, so favoured the undersranding of justice as an agreement amongst equals.

Epicurus thought of justice as an agreement to prevent people harming and being harmed.

Epicurus was not at all interested in what we would call the problems of mass society, and he thought civic politics was just trouble and to be avoided by the wise.

Claims like 'Slavery is wrong' are not fully common-sensical, so they must be at least partly theoretical.

The (atomic) soul is mortal, and the best life is the one with the least pain and the most pleasure.

I think we do have a better understanding now of how moral thought and discourse function.

It is only by persistent focus on your dreams you will pull all the divine forces for the passion of fulfilled dream.

Selfishness is the only real atheism aspiration unselfishness the only real religion.

There's no quick or magical way to lose weight. You just have to do it the natural way - diet and exercise and stick to it - and be able to do it at your own pace.

We meet all life's greatest tests alone.

Why do people deserve a penny when they update their Facebook status? Because they'll spend some of it on you.

Music works in mysterious ways. Once it goes in you have no idea what it can do to you.

To be happy is, I guess, the most important thing in life.

We learn to fight and to grow strong by fighting.

I think it's very repressive for a woman to be constantly told that she has to make films about women to better represent women, but then the reverse is not found.

People build themselves up before you even have to deal with them.