Marquis de Sade

Writer, extreme libertine philosophy

Contemporary weird famous 233 sayings

Sayings by Marquis de Sade

The greatest pleasure a man can have is to make a woman suffer.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

Crime is the soul of mankind.

1785 — The 120 Days of Sodom
Controversial Unverifiable

The more atrocious a crime is, the more it flatters one's vanity.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

There is no act so infamous that it cannot be excused by necessity.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

Virtue is nothing more than a chimera.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

The essence of pleasure is in its excess.

1785 — The 120 Days of Sodom
Controversial Unverifiable

Laws are made to be broken.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

The most beautiful thing in the world is a woman in tears.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

There is no crime that does not contain a certain amount of pleasure.

1785 — The 120 Days of Sodom
Controversial Unverifiable

The only true morality is to live according to one's own desires.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

The more I know men, the more I admire dogs.

1783 — Letter to his wife, Renée-Pélagie de Montreuil
Controversial Unverifiable

To destroy is always the first step in creation.

1795 — Philosophy in the Bedroom
Controversial Unverifiable

Never yield to remorse, it is a cowardly feeling.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

The only true happiness is to be found in the satisfaction of one's desires.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable

The most sublime act is to make another suffer.

1785 — The 120 Days of Sodom
Controversial Unverifiable

There are no morals, there are only habits.

1795 — Philosophy in the Bedroom
Controversial Unverifiable

All religions are founded on the fear of the many and the cleverness of the few.

1782 — Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man
Controversial Unverifiable

The pleasure of love is in the variety of its forms.

1795 — Philosophy in the Bedroom
Controversial Unverifiable

The only true crime is to deny oneself pleasure.

1791 — Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Controversial Unverifiable