Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionHistorian
Date of Birth21 November 1694
CityParis, France
CountryFrance
born five god knowledge men nose
All men are born with a nose and five fingers, but no one is born with a knowledge of God.
bad false good healthy ideas men money notions uses
When men do not have healthy notions of the Divinity, false ideas supplant them, just as in bad times one uses counterfeit money when there is no good money.
charming french-writer secret telling tiresome
The secret of being tiresome is in telling everything.
advantages animals cost funerals lawsuits starts
Animals have these advantages over man: They have no theologians to instruct them, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.
except great human man rendered service services
I know of no great man except those who have rendered great services to the human race.
art citizens consists french-writer government money party possible taking
In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
bad dependent digestion fate good nation prime
The fate of a nation is often dependent upon the good or bad digestion of a prime minister.
french-writer invent necessary
If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.
shall
say, "Believe as I do, or I shall assassinate you
best boring french-writer leave
The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.
advice philosophy sets
Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them
beings cure diseases doctors human medicines men prescribe whom
Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing.
certainty doubt mental pleasant ridiculous
Doubt is not a pleasant mental state, but certainty is a ridiculous one.
absurd certainty condition doubt pleasant
Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.