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Persuasion is often more effectual than force.

The mark of a truly civilized man is confidence in the strength and security derived from the inquiring mind.

Virtues, like viruses, have their seasons of contagion. When catastrophe strikes, generosity spikes like a fever. Courage spreads in the face of tyranny.

There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.

It is human nature to instinctively rebel at obscurity or ordinariness.

Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.

The test of our social commitment and humanity is how we treat the most powerless of our fellow citizens, the respect we accord to our fellow human beings. That is what reveals our true culture.

Moral justification is a powerful disengagement mechanism. Destructive conduct is made personally and socially acceptable by portraying it in the service of moral ends. This is why most appeals against violent means usually fall on deaf ears.

The forces that are driving mankind toward unity and peace are deep-seated and powerful. They are material and natural, as well as moral and intellectual.