Deus Ex series notable quotes

This page includes quotes from the Deus Ex series on broad themes. Additional quotes on plot-specific or mundane topics can be found on character pages.

Deus Ex

 * "When due process fails us, we really do live in a world of terror." 
 * "The Individual desires judgment. Without that desire, the cohesion of groups is impossible, and so is civilization."
 * "The human being created civilization not because of willingness but of a need to be assimilated into higher orders of structure and meaning."
 * "Number One: In 1945, corporations paid 50% of federal taxes; now they pay about 5%. Number Two: In 1900, 90% of Americans were self employed; now it's about 2%... It's called consolidation; strengthen governments and corporations, weaken individuals. With taxes, this can be done imperceptibly over time."
 * "350 million fortresses in not my idea of 'The land of the Free.'" "It's better than one great big fortress with a corrupt government against it's people"
 * "Every war is the result of a difference of opinion. Maybe the biggest questions can only be answered by the greatest of conflicts."
 * "'What good's an honest soldier if he can be ordered to behave like a terrorist?"

Deus Ex: Invisible War

 * "All free societies have started with one premise: human nature is cruel, unjust -- a force to be controlled."
 * "Wisdom must first be human. You must start with what a human sees and feels. But wisdom must also be knowledgeable, logical, and fair to billions of other beings."
 * "The commodification of ability -- tuition, of course, but, increasingly, genetic treatments, cybernetic protocols, now biomods -- has had the side effect of creating a self-perpetuating aristocracy in all advanced societies. When ability becomes a public resource, what will distinguish people will be what they do with it. Intention. Dedication. Integrity. The qualities we would choose as the bedrock of the social order."
 * "The Elite do the real brainwashing - convincing people it's a free market where everyone can succeed if they work hard enough, when in reality it's all controlled to keep the wealth in the hands of a select few."

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

 * "Some think [augmentation] is the end of us all, others think it will lead us to paradise." 
 * "Arrogance, daring to go beyond the limits imposed upon us, that is exactly what makes us human beings."
 * "They're just afraid of what they don't understand. That leads to self protection, and defense always leads to offense -- always."
 * "The World doesn't care about right or wrong. It's all about power. And right now, none of us have it."
 * "How often have we changed the dream of progress, only to see that dream perverted? More often than not, haven't the machines we built to improve life shattered the lives of millions?" 
 * "Technology offers us strength. Strength enables dominance, and dominance paves the way for abuse."
 * "Sarif was right about one thing, it's in our nature to want to rise above our limits. Think about it. We were cold, so we harnessed fire. We were weak, so we invented tools. Every time we met an obstacle, we used creativity and ingenuity to overcome it."
 * Freedom. To those that don't have it, it's more valuable than gold. But where should it start and end? We humans often think we have the right to expand, absorb, convert, or possess anything we need to reach our dreams. But time and time again, hasn't this lead to conflicts with others who essentially believe the same thing?

Deus Ex: Icarus Effect

 * “A society that can augment itself at will, a human race capable of exceeding its physical limits through the application of technology.  Can you imagine what kind of threat such a thing would be to those who want to control us?”
 * "Like brave but foolhardy Icarus, those who dare to go beyond the boundaries will fall to their deaths.”

Deus Ex: Black Light

 * “You name a thing and you rob it of its power." "Nine-Eleven. The Vilama Superquake. The Cat Fives. The Incident. Give it a name and you can put it in a box, contain it. It’s an important coping mechanism. It helps people to rebuild.”
 * "If you could make a person run faster, think quicker, live longer, it wasn’t difficult to make them more dangerous as well."