Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4)

by Isaac Asimov

‘Never let your sense of morals keep you from doing what is right.’

“It seems to me, Golan, that the advance of civilization is nothing but an exercise in the limiting of privacy.”

‘The closer to the truth, the better the lie, and the truth itself, when it can be used, is the best lie.’

you are never too old to learn more than you already know and to become able to do more than you already can.

All humanity could share a common insanity and be immersed in a common illusion while living in a common chaos.

That can’t be disproved, but we have no choice but to follow our senses.”

“The robots were deeply indoctrinated with what are called the Three Laws of Robotics, which date back into prehistory. There are several versions of what those Three Laws might have been. The orthodox view has the following reading: ‘1) A robot may not harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; 3) A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.’

‘Gaia may not harm life or, through inaction, allow life to come to harm.’

“We abandoned the appearance of power to preserve the essence of it.”