It is only because man believes himself to be free, not because he is free, that he experiences remorse and pricks of conscience.
The destiny of mankind is arranged for happy moments every life has such but not for happy times.
It is possible that the production of genius is reserved to a limited period of mankind’s history.
There are two types of genius; one which above all begets and wants to beget, and another which prefers being fertilized and giving birth.
To think historically is almost the same thing now as if in all ages history had been made according to theory.
History teaches that a race of people is best preserved where the greater number hold one common spirit in consequence of the similarity of their accustomed and indisputable principles.
Every fact and every work exercises a fresh persuasion over every age and every new species of man. History always enunciates new truths.
The hypocrite who always plays one and the same part ceases at last to be a hypocrite.
Whoever aims publicly at great things and at length perceives secretly that he is too weak to achieve them, has usually also insufficient strength to renounce his aims publicly, and then inevitably becomes a hypocrite.
We praise or blame as one or the other affords more opportunity for exhibiting our power of judgement.
In the knowledge of truth, what really matters is the possession of it, not the impulse under which it was sought.
In almost all sciences the fundamental knowledge is either found in earliest times or is still being sought.
For the purpose of knowledge we must know how to make use of the inward current which draws us towards a thing, and also of the current which after a time draws us away from it.
Conversation with a friend will only bear good fruit of knowledge when both think only of the matter under consideration and forget that they are friends.
No honey is sweeter than that of knowledge.
If you believed more in life you would fling yourself less to the moment.
Spiritual strength and passion, when accompanied by bad manners, only provoke loathing.
Nobody thanks a witty man for politeness when he puts himself on a par with a society in which it would not be polite to show one’s wit.
When good friends praise a gifted person he often appears to be delighted with them out of politeness and goodwill, but in reality he feels indifferent.
Good manners disappear in proportion as the influence of a Court and an exclusive aristocracy lessens; this decrease can be plainly observed from decade to decade by those who have an eye for public behavior, which grows visibly.