When the wooden idol does not answer the peasant's prayer, he beats it: when the flesh and blood idol does not satisfy the civilized man, he cuts its head off.

He who slays a king and he who dies for him are alike idolaters.

A limited monarchy is a device for combining the inertia of a wooden idol with the credibility of a flesh and blood one.

The savage bows down to idols of wood and stone: the civilized man to idols of flesh and blood.

The populace cannot understand the bureaucracy: it can only worship the national idols.

The bureaucracy consists of functionaries; the aristocracy, of idols; the democracy, of idolaters.

The art of government is the organization of idolatry.

The golden rule is that there are no golden rules.

Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.

Do not love your neighbor as yourself. If you are on good terms with yourself it is an impertinence: if on bad, an injury.