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
motivational inspiration adversity
The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us
borrowed french-writer judicious original writers
Originality is nothing by judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.
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
inspirational funny life
I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.
money art humor
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another.
inspirational life spiritual
Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.
father book atheism
It is reported in the supplement of the council of Nicæan that the fathers, being very perplexed to know which were the cryphal or apocryphal books of the Old and New Testaments, put them all pell-mell on an altar, and the books to be rejected fell to the ground. It is a pity that this eloquent procedure has not survived.
marriage wedding life-is
To make a vow for life is to make oneself a slave.
time hands goal
Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.
hope virtue should
Hope should no more be a virtue than fear; we fear and we hope, according to what is promised or threatened us.
sins-not genius sin
Feeble verses are those which sin not against rules, but against genius.
happy-times history virtue
History in general is a collection of crimes, follies, and misfortunes among which we have now and then met with a few virtues, and some happy times.
shyness lost states
It is only through timidity that states are lost.
party science noon
When truth is evident, it is impossible for parties and factions to rise. There never has been a dispute as to whether there is daylight at noon.