Crime and Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

compassion is forbidden nowadays by science itself,

I am glad, I am glad that, though only in imagination, she should think of herself as having once been happy…

Man grows used to everything, the scoundrel!"

"What if man is not really a scoundrel, man in general, I mean, the whole race of mankind—then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and it's all as it should be."

The question whether the disease gives rise to the crime, or whether the crime from its own peculiar nature is always accompanied by something of the nature of disease, he did not yet feel able to decide.

"When reason fails, the devil helps!"

That's man's one privilege over all creation. Through error you come to the truth!

I am a man because I err!

I agree that ghosts only appear to the sick, but that only proves that they are unable to appear except to the sick, not that they don't exist."

I think that's all nonsense and there's no need of softness; on the contrary, what's wanted is protest.

Everything which is of use to mankind is honourable. I only understand one word: useful!