The false notion of miracles comes of our vanity, which makes us believe we are important enough for the Supreme Being to upset nature on our behalf.

It is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power.

The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.

We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our school-masters, and one from the world. The third contradicts all that the first two teach us.

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.

Every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law.

A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

Liberty... is there only when there is no abuse of power.

Knowledge humanizes mankind, and reason inclines to mildness; but prejudices eradicate every tender disposition.

Do what you will, but never out of fear.

There is nothing in the world more stubborn than a corpse: you can hit it, you can knock it to pieces, but you cannot convince it.

The virtuous will be sure to speak uprightly; but those whose speech is upright may not be virtuous.

I decline to buy repentance at the cost of ten thousand drachmas.

Skyping with your spouse works well enough, but apparently it is hard to get the kids to hang out on Skype for long.

We must not be hampered by yesterday's myths in concentrating on today's needs.

Ultimately this issue is on us. We're the ones who make the decisions about what our kids eat.

All I am hoping for is to be able to work-I think my best work is still ahead of me-I think all that I have been through in the last several years have only made me a better, more interesting actor.

I'm a sarcastic person. I learn through humor.

The dangers gather as the treasures rise.