Baruch Spinoza

Man, in so far as he is determined to act, is a part of nature, and is necessarily determined to do whatever he does.

The intellectual love of God is eternal, and it is the highest good of the mind.

The more the mind understands, the more capable it is of understanding other things.

The mind, when it understands things, does so according to the order of the intellect, and not according to the order of nature.

Things which are really different are distinguished from each other, either by the difference of their attributes, or by the difference of their modifications.

The power of the mind over the emotions consists in reason.

I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them.

The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.

Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand.

He who loves God cannot endeavor that God should love him in return.

Freedom is absolutely necessary for the progress in science and the liberal arts.

He who wishes to revenge injuries by reciprocal hatred will live in misery.

The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak.

The mind is more powerful than the body.