“Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge. ”

“A library of wisdom, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it. Whoever therefore claims to be zealous of truth, of happiness, of wisdom or knowledge, must become a lover of books.”

“It's not at all uncommon to find a person's desires compelling him to go against his reason, and to see him cursing himself and venting his passion on the source of the compulsion within him. It's as if there were two warring factions, with passion fighting on the side of reason. But I'm sure you won't claim that you had ever, in yourself or in anyone else, met a case of passion siding with his desires against the rational mind, when the rational mind prohibits resistance.”

“Ideas are the source of all things”

“Knowledge unqualified is knowledge simply of something learned.”

“virtue does not spring from riches, but riches and all other human blessings, both private and public, from virtue.”

“Knowledge is the food of the soul.”