William Godwin

“The great despotism of the East is a mere trifle compared with the despotism of a single idea.”

“Above all we should not forget that government is an evil, a usurpation upon the private judgment and individual conscience of mankind.”

“Perfectibility is one of the most unequivocal characteristics of the human species.”

“The first duty of man is to take none of the principles of conduct upon trust; to do nothing without a reason.”

“Revolution is engendered by an indignation with tyranny, yet is itself pregnant with tyranny.”

“No man knows all that he is capable of.”

“Justice is the sum of all moral duty.”

“Make men wise, and by that very operation you make them free.”

“The cause of justice is the cause of humanity.”

“He that loves reading has everything within his reach.”

“To do what is right, not because it is commanded but because it is just, is the very essence of virtue.”

“The true object of education, like that of every other moral process, is the generation of happiness.”

“Government was intended to suppress injustice, but its effect has been to embody and perpetuate it.”