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
console frivolous miseries nature
Nature has made us frivolous to console us for our miseries
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
judge questions rather
Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers.
shall
say, "Believe as I do, or I shall assassinate you
crime-and-criminals crimes history portrayal
History is no more than the portrayal of crimes and misfortunes
french-writer invent necessary
If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.
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.
except great human man rendered service services
I know of no great man except those who have rendered great services to the human race.
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.
chains fools free french-writer hard
It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.
appearance belly female wide yellow
To a toad, what is beauty? A female with two pop-eyes, a wide mouth, yellow belly and spotted back
criminals hanged man punishment serve
The punishment of criminals should serve a purpose. When a man is hanged he is useless.