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
doe speak metaphysics
Quand celui à qui l'on parle ne comprend pas et celui qui parle ne se comprend pas, c'est de la métaphysique When he to whom a person speaks does not understand, and he who speaks does not understand himself, that is metaphysics.
biblical earth century
Another century and there will not be a Bible on earth!
candide life-is pessimist
What a pessimist you are!" exclaimed Candide. "That is because I know what life is," said Martin.
religious men mad
They are mad men (Jews), but you should not burn them for that.
religious absurd jew
The Jews are of all peoples the grosses, the most ferocious, the most fanatical, and the most absurd.
fame burden heavy-burdens
Fame is a heavy burden.
philosophy science doe
When he to whom one speaks does not understand, and he who speaks himself does not understand, that is metaphysics.
hands history fables
History is the recital of facts represented as true. Fable, on the other hand, is the recital of facts represented as fiction.
love wedding heart
Love has features which pierce all hearts, he wears a bandage which conceals the faults of those beloved. He has wings, he comes quickly and flies away the same.
method infallible fanatics
An infallible method of making fanatics is to persuade before you instruct.
love-life still-in-love wanted
I have wanted to kill myself a million times, but somehow I am still in love with life.
sight earthquakes secret
It was decided by the university of Coimbre that the sight of several persons being slowly burned in great ceremony is an infallible secret for preventing earthquakes.
honor may virtue
A lady of honor may be raped once, but it strengthens her virtue.
pigs should-have years
Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches. Stones were formed to be quarried and to build castles; and My Lord has a very noble castle; the greatest Baron in the province should have the best house; and as pigs were made to be eaten, we eat pork all year round; consequently, those who have asserted all is well talk nonsense; they ought to have said that all is for the best.