The highest part of the human soul, which is called the intelligence and which is not the act of any body and does not need for its proper operation a corporeal instrument—this intelligence, if it were not obscured and weighed down by the mass of the body, would itself have complete knowledge from the irradiation received from the superior light without the help of sense, just as it will have when the soul is drawn forth from the body, and as perhaps those people have who are free from the love and the imaginings of corporeal things.

The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and tell what it saw in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think, but thousands can think for one who can see. To see clearly is poetry, prophecy and religion, all in one.

The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and what it saw in a plain way. To see clearly is poetry, prophecy and religion — all in one.

The excellence of the soul is understanding; for the man who understands is conscious, devoted, and already godlike.

The soul is superior to its knowledge; wiser than any of its works.

The highest function of love is that it makes the loved one a unique and irreplaceable being.

If God be God and man a creature made in image of the divine intelligence, his noblest function is the search for truth.

the UNDERSTANDING — who does not know that, as it is the most elevated faculty of the soul, so it is employed with a greater and more constant delight than any of the other. Its searches after truth are a sort of hawking and hunting, wherein the very pursuit makes a great part of the pleasure. Every step the mind takes in its progress towards Knowledge makes some discovery ... the understanding, like the eye, judging of objects only by its own sight, cannot but be pleased with what it discovers, having less regret for what has escaped it, because it is unknown. Thus he who has raised himself above the alms-basket, and, not content to live lazily on scraps of begged opinions, sets his own thoughts on work, to find and follow truth, will (whatever he lights on) not miss the hunter’s satisfaction; every moment of his pursuit will reward his pains with some delight; and he will have reason to think his time not ill spent, even when he cannot much boast of any great acquisition.

The soul is the perceiver and revealer of truth. We know the truth when we see it, let skeptic and scoffer say what they choose.

ART. 17. The functions of the soul Having thus considered all the functions that pertain to the body alone, it is easy to recognize that there remains nothing in us that we should ascribe to the soul except our thoughts, of which there are two main kinds: the actions of the soul and its passions. By its actions I mean all our volitions, since we experience these as coming directly from our soul, and as apparently depending on it alone. Whereas, on the other hand, the term ‘passions’ can be applied in general to all the kinds of perception or knowledge to be found within us, because it is often not our soul that makes them what they are, and because they are always produced in us by the things they represent.

Your highest purpose is what your soul can accomplish in union with your ego and God, not in opposition to them.

Faith is the highest passion in a man.

The soul active sees absolute truth; and utters truth, or creates.

The truth-that love is the highest goal to which man can aspire.