Nov 21, 1694 - May 30, 1778
French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade
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Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively
All men have equal rights to liberty, to their property, and to the protection of the laws
God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
Illusion is the first of the pleasures
The only way to comprehend what mathematicians mean by Infinity is to contemplate the extent of human stupidity.
Tears are the silent language of grief
If there were no God, it would have been necessary to invent him.
Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.
Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free
Now, now my good man, this is no time for making enemies.
Doubt is uncomfortable, certainty is ridiculous.
The best is the enemy of the good.
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
I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend - provided, of course, that he really is dead.
Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers.
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers
The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing
Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense
Common sense is not so common.
Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most, although, up to now, the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men
Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world
If God did not exist it would be necessary to invent Him. But all nature cries aloud that He does exist.
I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be devoured by sorrow.
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need
To believe in God is impossible - to not believe in Him is absurd
Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy: the mad daughter of a wise mother
Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well
When is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.
