Nothing is necessary except God, and nothing is less necessary than pain.

Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People complain of the despotism of princes; they ought to complain of the despotism of man.

It is one of man's curious idiosyncrasies to create difficulties for the pleasure of resolving them.

It is one of man's curious idiosyncrasies to create difficulties for the pleasure of resolving them.

There is no philosophy without the art of ignoring objections.

In the works of man, everything is as poor as its author; vision is confined, means are limited, scope is restricted, movements are labored, and results are humdrum.