In this age, the man who dares to think for himself and to act independently does a service to his race

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives

Popular opinions, on subjects not palpable to sense, are often true, but seldom or never the whole truth

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race posterity as well as the existing generation those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.

If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be in silencing mankind

The worth of the state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it

It is as certain that many opinions, now general, will be rejected by future ages, as it is that many, once general, are rejected by the present

Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of

Men are men before they are lawyers, or physicians, or merchants, or manufacturers; and if you make them capable and sensible men, they will make themselves capable and sensible lawyers or physicians