Nu fac ce îmi doresc, ci îmi doresc ceea ce fac.

Imperativul categoric — moralitatea ca formă a rațiunii libere.

„“just as Hobbes maintains that the state of nature is a state of injustice and violence, and that we must leave it and submit ourselves to the constraint of law, which indeed limits individual freedom, but only that it may consist with the freedom of others and with the common good of all. This freedom will, among other things, permit of our openly stating the difficulties and doubts which we are ourselves unable to solve, without being decried on that account as turbulent and dangerous citizens. This privilege forms part of the native rights of human reason, which recognizes no other judge than the universal reason of humanity; and as this reason is the source of all progress and improvement, such a privilege is to be held sacred and inviolable. It is unwise, moreover, to denounce as dangerous any bold assertions against, or rash attacks upon, an opinion which is held by the largest and most moral class of the community; for that would be giving them an importance which they do not deserve. When I hear that the freedom of the will, the hope of a future life, and the existence of God have been overthrown by the arguments of some able writer, I feel a strong desire to read his book; for I expect that he will add to my knowledge and impart greater clearness and distinctness to my views by the argumentative power shown in his writings. But I am perfectly certain, even before I have opened the book, that he has not succeeded in a single point, not because I believe I am in possession of irrefutable demonstrations of these important propositions, but because this transcendental critique, which has disclosed to me the power and the limits of pure reason, has fully convinced me that, as it is insufficient to establish the affirmative, it is as powerless, and even more so, to assure us of the truth of the negative answer to these questions. From what source does this free-thinker derive his knowledge that there is, for example, no Supreme Being? This proposition lies out of the field of possible experience, and, therefore, beyond the limits of human cognition. But I would not read at, all the answer which the dogmatical maintainer of the good cause makes to his opponent, because I know well beforehand, that he will merely attack the fallacious grounds of his adversary, without being able to establish his own assertions. Besides, a new illusory argument, in the construction of which talent and acuteness are shown, is suggestive of new ideas and new trains of reasoning, and in this respect the old and everyday sophistries are quite useless. Again, the dogmatical opponent of religion gives employment to criticism, and enables us to test and correct its principles, while there is no occasion for anxiety in regard to the influence and results of his reasoning. But, it will be said, must we not warn the youth entrusted to academical care against such writings, must we not preserve them from the knowledge of these dangerous assertions, until their judgement is ripened, or rather until the doctrines which we wish to inculcate are so firmly rooted in their minds as to withstand all attempts at instilling the contrary dogmas, from whatever quarter they may come?”

Viitorul ca extensie naturală a fizicii — civilizația ca proiect cosmic.

„După ce nevoile noastre de bază sunt îndeplinite, punem mare preț pe opiniile semenilor noștri.”

Tratamentul nevrasteniei prin odihnă, hrană și disciplină — medicina interioară a secolului al XIX-lea.

„we are, after all, artists who all use the same means to an end but fail or succeed according to our method of using them.”

Conștiința examinată fără consolări metafizice.

„“A crede în propria iluminare perfectă este ca și cum ai conduce fără frâne - nicio problemă dacă nu ai nevoie să te oprești sau să încetinești vreodată, dar altfel o idee îngrozitoare.”

Mintea care a unificat logica, matematica și calculul.

„“…logica și statistica ar trebui privite în primul rând, dar nu exclusiv, ca instrumente esențiale ale ‘teoriei informației’.”

Gândirea nu este un proces psihologic, ci o relație cu adevăruri obiective.

„A proposition may be thought, and again it may be true; let us never confuse these two things. We must remind ourselves, it seems, that a proposition no more ceases to be true when I cease to think of it than the sun ceases to exist when I shut my eyes.”