Culture is the tacit agreement to let the means of subsistence disappear behind the purpose of existence. Civilization is the subordination of the latter to the former.

The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e., the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force.

Culture is one thing and varnish is another.

In the room the women come and go talking of Michelangelo.

A man should be just cultured enough to be able to look with suspicion upon culture at first, not second hand.

Culture: the cry of men in face of their destiny.

Every man's ability may be strengthened or increased by culture.

Culture is an instrument wielded by teachers to manufacture teachers, who, in their turn, will manufacture still more teachers.

Men are not suffering from the lack of good literature, good art, good theatre, good music, but from that which has made it impossible for these to become manifest. In short, they are suffering from the silent shameful conspiracy (the more shameful since it is unacknowledged) which has bound them together as enemies of art and artists.

Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart.