[A] planet, wholly inhabited by spiders, (which is very possible)

Be a philosopher; but amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.

The passion for philosophy, like that for religion, involves acertain danger. Although it aims to correct our behaviourand wipe out our vices, it may—through not being handledproperly—end up merely encouraging us to carry on indirections that we’re already naturally inclined to follow.

Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.

The observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it.

It is certain that the easy and obvious philosophy will always, with the generality of mankind, have preference above the accurate.

The stability of modern governments above the ancient, and the accuracy of modern philosophy, have improved, and probably will still improve, by similar gradations.

A man who has cured himself of all ridiculous prepossessions, and is fully, sincerely, and steadily convinced, from experience as well as philosophy, that the difference of fortune makes less difference in happiness than is vulgarly imagined; such a one does not measure out degrees of esteem according to the rent-rolls of his acquaintance. ... his internal sentiments are more regulated by the personal characters of men, than by the accidental and capricious favors of fortune.

What peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call thought, that we must thus make it the model of the whole universe? Our partiality in our own favour does indeed present it on all occasions; but sound philosophy ought carefully to guard against so natural an illusion.