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
beings cure diseases doctors human medicines men prescribe whom
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.
certainty doubt mental pleasant ridiculous
Doubt is not a pleasant mental state, but certainty is a ridiculous one.
absurd certainty condition doubt pleasant
Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.
feels responsibility snowflake
No snowflake in an avalanch ever feels responsible.
best french-writer possible
Everything is for the best in this best of possible worlds.
argument both dispute means parties wrong
A long dispute means that both parties are wrong
behold days french-writer god heaven night sky stars sun
You see many stars at night in the sky but find them not when the sun rises; can you say that there are no stars in the heaven of day? So, O man! because you behold not God in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God.
destiny vows
Your destiny is that of a man, and your vows those of a god.
ability arts devil succeed
You must have the devil in you to succeed in any of the arts
advantages animals cost funerals lawsuits starts
Animals have these advantages over man: They have no theologians to instruct them, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.
charlatans faith hundred regimen superior time
Regimen is superior to medicine, especially as, from time immemorial, out of every hundred physicians, ninety-eight are charlatans
borrowed french-writer judicious original writers
Originality is nothing by judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.
failure lost ruined twice won
I was never ruined but twice - once when I lost a lawsuit, once when I won one
except great human man rendered service services
I know of no great man except those who have rendered great services to the human race.