Sage alphabet of Helvétius

Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-1771) was a French writer and philosopher, one of the ideologues of the age of Enlightenment. The main its task Helvétius saw to convince legislators that genius, virtue and talents are the result of education, which depends on the laws and forms of Government.

A courage reaps only those laurels, which grow in the midst of the disaster.

A person who is not familiar with the horsemanship, does not set about directing how to break the horses. But in the morality we are less distrustful. Here we always consider ourselves to be knowledgeable and able to give advice to all people.

All shallow people aspire constantly to blemish the people a thorough and broad mind.

But there is no mind without ideas.

Desire is the driving force of the soul; the soul devoid of desires stagnates. It is necessary to be willing to act, and to act to be happy.

Epicurus said: if you want to be rich, do not think about increasing your property, but only reduce your greed.

Forms of government have not created for virtuous people: they do not need in them ... For most people, it would be good to enlighten them, but it is enough to make them afraid.

Generosity is defined by the cause of its manifestation.

Genius is the only a continuous attention.

If you want to be honest, take into consideration and believe only the public interest. Personal interest is often disorienting.

Just a few in their thoughts rise above the commonplace, but far less such people who would dare to act in such manner as they think.

Mission of the art is to excite the heart.

Of all the passions an envy is the most disgusting. Under the banner of envy, hatred, betrayal and intrigues stalk along.

Only the friend’s hand may snatch spikes from the heart.

Patrons of ignorance are essentially the fiercest enemies of humanity.

People who have the prejudices cannot be considered as friends. Their friendship is always dependent on the prejudices of others.

Riches are the slaves of sage and the lords of gander.

The mind often brightens only failed people.

The mind prepares the happiness that virtue completes.

The miser lives poor with a view to die rich.

The same virtues are evaluated at different times in different ways, depending on their usefulness to the stage.

The wisdom prevails in the advices and the fate - in the events.

To see clearly the indifference of almost all people to us is distressing for our vanity; but it is necessary to treat people as they are ... To love people, a little should be expected from them.

Virtue is the only wisdom, which causes align passion with brain and pleasure with liability.

Who constitutes itself unhappy, becomes unhappy.