As soon as man enters into a state of society he loses the sense of his weakness; equality ceases, and then commences the state of war.
~ Charles De Secondat
Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance... the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason.
People here argue about religion interminably, but it appears that they are competing at the same time to see who can be the least devout.
Power ought to serve as a check to power.
But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.
When the body of the people is possessed of the supreme power, it is called a democracy.
The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles.
There are three species of government: republican, monarchical, and despotic.
Men, who are rogues individually, are in the mass very honorable people.
Society is the union of men and not the men themselves.
