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
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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.
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The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.
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The fate of a nation is often dependent upon the good or bad digestion of a prime minister.
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Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them
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The punishment of criminals should serve a purpose. When a man is hanged he is useless.
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The public is a ferocious beast -- one must either chain it up or flee from it.
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Weakness on both sides is, the motto of all quarrels.
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To a toad, what is beauty? A female with two pop-eyes, a wide mouth, yellow belly and spotted back
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Doubt is not a pleasant mental state, but certainty is a ridiculous one.
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Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.
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Everything is for the best in this best of possible worlds.
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Every man is the creature of the age in which he lives; very few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.
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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.
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The United States has subcontracted Brazil for security and Canada for economic development. But they're all reporting to Washington. The final decisions are made there,