“Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared.”

“He defended respectability with violence and exaggeration.”

“The life of West, Nietzsche said, is based on Christianity. The values of the West are based on Christianity. Some of these values seem to have taken a life of their own, and this gives us the illusion that we can get rid of Christianity and keep the values. This, Nietzsche says, is an illusion...Remove the Christian foundation, and the values must go too.”

“Civilised life, you know, is based on a huge number of illusions in which we all collaborate willingly. The trouble is we forget after a while that they are illusions and we are deeply shocked when reality is torn down around us.”

“Each of us has a natural right, from God, to defend his person, his liberty, and his property.”

“Dearer to me than a host of base truths is the illusion that exalts.”