"The laws ought to be so framed as to secure the safety of every citizen as much as possible. ... Political liberty does not consist in the notion that a man may do whatever he pleases; liberty is the right to do whatsoever the laws allow. ... The equality of the citizens consists in that they should all be subject to the same laws."
"Nothing is more difficult, in my opinion, than to avoid something that fundamentally attracts you."
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Source: Letter to Denis Diderot. The Affairs of Women: A Modern Miscellany. Book by Colin Bingham, 1969.
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More quotes by Catherine the Great
"Happiness and unhappiness are in the heart and spirit of each one of us: If you feel unhappy, then place yourself above that and act so that your happiness does not get to be dependent on anything."
"You philosophers are lucky men. You write on paper and paper is patient. Unfortunate Empress that I am, I write on the susceptible skins of living beings."
"In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions."
"The more a man knows, the more he forgives."
"I sincerely want peace, not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed."