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.

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

— Voltaire

Money

All Quotes by Voltaire

“To hold a pen is to be at war.”

— Voltaire

War

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

— Voltaire

Love

“Divorce is probably of nearly the same date as marriage. I believe, however, that marriage is some weeks the more ancient.”

— Voltaire

Marriage

“We are all full of weakness and errors let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.”

— Voltaire

Nature

“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature.”

— Voltaire

Nature

“God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.”

— Voltaire

God

“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.”

— Voltaire

God

“Love has features which pierce all hearts, he wears a bandage which conceals the faults of those beloved. He has wings, he comes quickly and flies away the same.”

— Voltaire

Love

“The opportunity for doing mischief is found a hundred times a day, and of doing good once in a year.”

— Voltaire

Good

“Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?”

— Voltaire

Experience

“Society therefore is an ancient as the world.”

— Voltaire

Society

“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

“We are rarely proud when we are alone.”

— Voltaire

Alone

“It is vain for the coward to flee death follows close behind it is only by defying it that the brave escape.”

— Voltaire

Death

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

— Voltaire

Friendship

“Perfection is attained by slow degrees it requires the hand of time.”

— Voltaire

Time

“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

“The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reason.”

— Voltaire

Power

“Men hate the individual whom they call avaricious only because nothing can be gained from him.”

— Voltaire

Men

“Fear follows crime and is its punishment.”

— Voltaire

Fear