The Caves of Steel (Robot, #1)

by Isaac Asimov

Even as a youngster, though, I could not bring myself to believe that if knowledge presented danger, the solution was ignorance. To me, it always seemed that the solution had to be wisdom. You did not refuse to look at danger, rather you learned how to handle it safely.

“The division between human and robot is perhaps not as significant as that between intelligence and nonintelligence.”

“How much time do you intend to spend?” interrupted Baley. “As little as possible, as much as necessary.”

“A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”

if it is no longer possible, it is because of the development of City culture on Earth. Before the Cities, human life on Earth wasn’t so specialized that they couldn’t break loose and start all over on a raw world. They did it thirty times. But now, Earthmen are all so coddled, so enwombed in their imprisoning caves of steel, that they are caught forever.

We’re forever teetering on the brink of the unknowable, and trying to understand what can’t be understood. It’s what makes us men.

the destruction of what should not be, that is, the destruction of what you people call evil, is less just and desirable than the conversion of this evil into what you call good.”