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
hypocrisy doe various
Love has various lodgings; the same word does not always signify the same thing.
men liberty encounters
All men are by nature free; you have therefore an undoubted liberty to depart whenever you please, but will have many and great difficulties to encounter in passing the frontiers.
writing hatred literature
The only reward to be expected from literature is contempt if one fails and hatred if one succeeds.
book silent increase
It is far better to be silent than merely to increase the quantity of bad books.
mean thinking faults
But there must be some pleasure in condemning everything--in perceiving faults where others think they see beauties.' 'You mean there is pleasure in having no pleasure.
real men poverty
It is the poverty connected with our species which subordinates one man to another. It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.
learning science thinking
If one does not reflect, one thinks oneself master of everything; but when one does reflect, one realizes that one is master of nothing.
men ideas liberty
Let us leave every man at liberty to seek into him and to lose himself in his ideas.
intelligent ideas differences
We are intelligent beings: intelligent beings cannot have been formed by a crude, blind, insensible being: there is certainly some difference between the ideas of Newton and the dung of a mule. Newton's intelligence, therefore, came from another intelligence
perfect originality imitation
A good imitation is the most perfect originality
evil littles obtaining
A little evil is often necessary for obtaining a great good.
passion inspire atheism
Which is more dangerous: fanaticism or atheism? Fanaticism is certainly a thousand times more deadly; for atheism inspires no bloody passion whereas fanaticism does; atheism is opposed to crime and fanaticism causes crimes to be committed.
prejudice crowds vulgar
Prejudices are what rule the vulgar crowd.
boldness-and-courage dare
Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare.