141 Quotes By Voltaire


There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times.
Voltaire on men

Men hate the individual whom they call avaricious only because nothing can be gained from him.
Voltaire on men

Satire lies about literary men while they live and eulogy lies about them when they die.
Voltaire on men

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

When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.
Voltaire on money

Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.
Voltaire on 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 on nature

The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.
Voltaire on nature

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

Nature has always had more force than education.
Voltaire on nature

How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child's board. It is like an aged man reclining under the shadow of an oak which he has planted.
Voltaire on parenting

It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.
Voltaire on patriotism

One merit of poetry few persons will deny: it says more and in fewer words than prose.
Voltaire on poetry

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.
Voltaire on power

Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
Voltaire on power

Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.
Voltaire on power

What then do you call your soul? What idea have you of it? You cannot of yourselves, without revelation, admit the existence within you of anything but a power unknown to you of feeling and thinking.
Voltaire on power

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

Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth.
Voltaire on religion

Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense.
Voltaire on religion