Julian

“Man is born free; and yet everywhere he is in chains.”
― Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract

“And to Pierre all people seemed to be such soldiers, saving themselves from life: some with ambition, some with cards, some with drafting laws, some with women, some with playthings, some with horses, some with politics, some with hunting, some with wine, some with affairs of state.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

“Capitalism” and “Socialism” are both of an age, intimately related, produced by the same outlook and burdened with the same tendencies. Socialism is nothing but the capitalism of the lower classes.”
― Oswald Spengler, The Hour of Decision: Germany and World-Historical Evolution

“Grant [....] had no right to exist. He should have been extinct for ages. [....] That, two thousand years after Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, a man like Grant should be called — and should actually and truly be — the highest product of the most advanced evolution, made evolution ludicrous. [....] The progress of evolution from President Washington to President Grant, was alone evidence enough to upset Darwin.”
― Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams