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
criminals hanged man punishment serve
The punishment of criminals should serve a purpose. When a man is hanged he is useless.
above age age-and-aging creature few ideas man raise themselves
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.
condemned criminals good hanged man public serves works
Let the punishments of criminals be useful. A hanged man is good for nothing; a man condemned to public works still serves the country, and is a living lesson.
cover covers manifest religion secret settled society wherever
Wherever there is a settled society, religion is necessary; the laws cover manifest crimes, and religion covers secret crimes.
french-writer judge man questions rather
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
except great human man rendered service services
I know of no great man except those who have rendered great services to the human race.
men good-man enemy
Now, now my good man, this is no time to be making enemies." (Voltaire on his deathbed in response to a priest asking him that he renounce Satan.)
patriotism enemy mankind
It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.
tolerance mankind ill
Discord is the great ill of mankind; and tolerance is the only remedy for it.
beast chain either ferocious flee public
The public is a ferocious beast -- one must either chain it up or flee from it.
charming french-writer secret telling tiresome
The secret of being tiresome is in telling everything.
america brazil canada decisions economic final reporting security states united
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,
attitude dying good joke occurred stop
I should stop myself from dying if a good joke or a good idea occurred to me
best french-writer possible
Everything is for the best in this best of possible worlds.