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
inspiring moving heart
A yawn may not be polite, but at least it is an honest opinion.
marriage wedding life-is
To make a vow for life is to make oneself a slave.
war army states
Where some states possess an army, the Prussian Army possesses a state.
health doctors drug
Doctors put drugs of which they know little into bodies of which they know less for diseases of which they know nothing at all.
believe injustice absurdity
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
acceptance garden thorns
Life is bristling with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to cultivate one's garden.
ignorance learning political
He must be very ignorant for he answers every question he is asked.
peace war writing
To hold a pen is to be at war.
law errors tolerance
What is toleration? It is the prerogative of humanity. We are all steeped in weaknesses and errors: Let us forgive one another's follies, it is the first law of nature.
optimistic optimism maintaining
Optimism," said Cacambo, "What is that?" "Alas!" replied Candide, "It is the obstinacy of maintaining that everything is best when it is worst.
nature men arguing
Men argue. Nature acts.
growing-up men ideas
Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they grow up.
christian believe men
Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." "Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense." "If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities.
god spiritual circles
God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere.