“The augmentation of slaves weakens the states; and such a trade is diabolical in itself, and disgraceful to mankind.”

“An instinct is weakened when it rationalises itself: for by rationalising itself it weakens itself.”

“Even a goat got to be a goat." Esperança's comments about slaves during the triangular slave trade.”

“Wise politics is the art of invigorating society and weakening the State.”

“A state that claims to be a savior of mankind necessarily becomes the final judge of mankind.”

“The supreme law of the State is self-preservation at any cost. And since all States, ever since they came to exist upon the earth, have been condemned to perpetual struggle — a struggle against their own populations, whom they oppress and ruin, a struggle against all foreign States, every one of which can be strong only if the others are weak — and since the States cannot hold their own in this struggle unless they constantly keep on augmenting their power against their own subjects as well as against the neighborhood States — it follows that the supreme law of the State is the augmentation of its power to the detriment of internal liberty and external justice.”