“I find it easier to believe in God than to believe Hamlet was deduced from the molecular structure of a mutton chop.”

“How can one deduce the cause of "Hamlet" or "Saint Matthew's Passion"? What is the cause of inspiration? ”

“There will be no legacy for Mr. Bush. I don't believe hissuccessor would re-enunciate the words he used in hissecond inaugural address because they were too ambitious.So therefore I think his legacy is indecipherable.”

“They [progressives] are men and women who tend to believe that the human being is perfectible and social progress predictable, and that the instrument for effecting the two is reason; that truths are transitory and empirically determined; that equality is desirable and attainable through the action of state power; that social and individual differences, if they are not rational, are objectionable, and should be scientifically eliminated; that all people and societies strive to organize themselves upon a rationalist and scientific paradigm.”

“I profoundly believe it takes a lot of practice to become a moral slob.”

“I am obliged to confess I should sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University.”

“I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.”