There are two things which should be cultivated in the soul: first, the greatest courage; secondly, the greatest fear.
For this feeling of wonder shows that you are a philosopher, since wonder is the only beginning of philosophy.
...and when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other's sight, as I m
Virtue is not given by money, but from virtue comes money and all other good things to man, both to the individual and to the State.
The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves.
To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory; to be vanquished by one's own nature is the worst and most ignoble defeat.
The truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
Justice is the bond of men in states, for the administration of justice is the principle of order in political society.
The soul of the virtuoso proceeds from his innate bent and genius, and for the most part is the soul of a hero.
Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.
All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince.
Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
Virtue does not come from wealth, but...from virtue comes wealth and all other things good for man, both the individual and society.
Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.
Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.
When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.
Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.
Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.
I learn from everyone, those who praise me and those who criticize me. I learn from the mistakes of others, for they are dedicated to showing me where the dangers lie.