Claude Adrien Helvetius Professions : Philosopher Born : January 26, 1715 Died : December 26, 1771 Browse All Authors Top 28 quotes by Claude Adrien Helvetius No nation has reason to regard itself superior to others by virtue of its innate endowment. Claude Adrien Helvetius superiors virtue reason To limit the press is to insult a nation; to prohibit reading of certain books is to declare the inhabitants to be either fools or slaves: such a prohibition ought to fill them with disdain. Claude Adrien Helvetius liberty reading book Education made us what we are. Claude Adrien Helvetius made The degree of genius necessary to please us is pretty nearly the same proportion that we ourselves have. Claude Adrien Helvetius proportion degrees genius Genius is nothing but continued attention. Claude Adrien Helvetius focus motivational knowledge Harsh counsels have no effect; they are like hammers which are always repulsed by the anvil. Claude Adrien Helvetius anvils hammers criticism Virtue has many preachers, but few martyrs. Claude Adrien Helvetius martyr preacher virtue When a miser contents himself with giving nothing, and saving what he has got, and is in other respects guilty of no injustice, he is, perhaps, of all bad men the least injurious to society; the evil he does is properly nothing more than the omission of the good he might do. If, of all the vices, avarice is the most generally detested, it is the effect of an avidity common to all men; it is because men hate those from whom they can expect nothing. The greedy misers rail at sordid misers. Claude Adrien Helvetius omission hate men Pleasure and pain are the only springs of action in man, and always will be. Claude Adrien Helvetius pain spring men By annihilating desires, you annihilate the mind. Claude Adrien Helvetius mind desire A man who believes that he eats his God we do not call mad; yet, a man who says he is Jesus Christ, we call mad. Claude Adrien Helvetius religious believe jesus Every man without passions has within him no principle of action, nor motive to act. Claude Adrien Helvetius passion principles men Discipline is, in a manner, nothing else but the art of inspiring the soldiers with greater fear of their officers than of the enemy. This fear has often the effect of courage: but it cannot prevail against the fierce and obstinate valor of people animated by fanaticism, or warm love of their country. Claude Adrien Helvetius discipline country art Truth is a torch which gleams in the fog but does not dispel it. Claude Adrien Helvetius torches fog truth The men of sense, the idols of the shallow, are very inferior to the men of passions. It is the strong passions which, rescuing us from sloth, impart to us that continuous and earnest attention necessary to great intellectual efforts. Claude Adrien Helvetius passion strong men There is but one man who can believe himself free from envy; and it is he who has never examined his own heart. Claude Adrien Helvetius heart men believe The man who believes he can do it is probably right. Claude Adrien Helvetius belief men believe What makes men happy is liking what they have to do. This is a principle on which society is not founded Claude Adrien Helvetius principles men To be loved, we should merit but little esteem; all superiority attracts awe and aversion. Claude Adrien Helvetius merit aversion littles Truth is the torch that gleams through the fog without dispelling it. Claude Adrien Helvetius torches fog truth Similar Authors F. H. Bradley philosopher Irving Copi philosopher Ivan Ilyin philosopher Ivan Illich philosopher Bion of Borysthenes philosopher Bonaventure philosopher All Authors
