V

Voltaire

92 quotes

Voltaire (1694–1778) was the pen name of François-Marie Arouet, a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, advocacy of civil liberties, and criticism of established religion and institutions. His satirical novel *Candide* remains one of the most widely read works of French literature.

“The flowery style is not unsuitable to public speeches or addresses, which amount only to compliment. The lighter beauties are in their place when there is nothing more solid to say but the flowery style ought to be banished from a pleading, a sermon, or a didactic work.”

— Voltaire

Work

All Quotes by Voltaire

“Friendship is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce.”

— Voltaire

Friendship

“It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love.”

— Voltaire

Love

“He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise.”

— Voltaire

Sad

“I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom.”

— Voltaire

Truth

“The very impossibility in which I find myself to prove that God is not, discovers to me his existence.”

— Voltaire

God

“Common sense is not so common.”

— Voltaire

Intelligence

“To hold a pen is to be at war.”

— Voltaire

War

“Fear follows crime and is its punishment.”

— Voltaire

Fear

“When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.”

— Voltaire

Money

“It is forbidden to kill therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

— Voltaire

War

“It is said that the present is pregnant with the future.”

— Voltaire

Future

“He who has not the spirit of this age, has all the misery of it.”

— Voltaire

Age

“If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated.”

— Voltaire

God

“One great use of words is to hide our thoughts.”

— Voltaire

Great

“History is only the register of crimes and misfortunes.”

— Voltaire

History

“In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another.”

— Voltaire

Art

“The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”

— Voltaire

Art

“All the reasonings of men are not worth one sentiment of women.”

— Voltaire

Men

“Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.”

— Voltaire

Men

“Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.”

— Voltaire

Alone