Minds, however, are conquered not by arms, but by love and nobility.

Hatred is increased by being reciprocated, and can on the other hand be destroyed by love.

The superstitious know how to reproach people for their vices better than they know how to teach them virtues, and they strive, not to guide men by reason, but to restrain them by fear, so that they flee the evil rather than love virtues. Such people aim only to make others as wretched as they themselves are, so it is no wonder that they are generally burdensome and hateful to men.

The good which every man, who follows after virtue, desires for himself he will also desire for other men...

men, in so far as they live in obedience to reason necessarily do only such things as are necessarily good for human nature, and consequently for each individual man.

Nothing forbids man to enjoy himself, save grim and gloomy superstition