The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'

The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?"

It is vain to talk of the interest of the community, without understanding what is the interest of the individual.

The principle of asceticism never was, nor ever can be, consistently pursued by any living creature. Let but one tenth part of the inhabitants of the earth pursue it consistently, and in a day's time they will have turned it into a Hell.

Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet.

Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.