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
true-power vanity politeness
True power and true politeness are above vanity.
prayer philosophy made
We offer up prayers to god only because we have made him after our own image. We treat him like a pasha, or a sultan, who is capable of being exasperated and appeased.
virtue
Virtue debases itself in justifying itself.
idols feet hands
The Pope is an idol whose hands are tied and whose feet are kissed.
strong justice citizens
Not all citizens can be equally strong; but they can all be equally free.
strong drinking men
Men fed upon carnage, and drinking strong drinks, have all an impoisoned and acrid blood which drives them mad in a hundred different ways.
independence fruit revolution
Independence in the end is the fruit of injustice.
prayer persistence mind
Persistence with patience and prayer pays with profits, prosperity and peace of mind.
hear news sacrament wait
When we hear news we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation
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.