Who Was Voltaire?
François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, was one of the defining figures produced by the European Enlightenment.
Born in France in the late 17th century, Voltaire was a writer, philosopher, and historian whose ideas left a Voltaire-shaped mark on Western culture and continue to influence people’s thoughts and work today.
In the realm of literature, Voltaire was prolific. He used his skills as a writer to express complex ideas with wit and clarity, utilizing various different forms, from plays and poems to novels and essays. His most famous work, “Candide,” uses humor and satire to critique the philosophy of his time and to push his readers towards practical solutions to the challenges of life. Something we can all do with a bit of.
However, Voltaire was not just a writer, and his work as a philosopher is equally noteworthy. He was a champion of rationalism and skepticism, frequently critiquing institutional religion and advocating for deism. His well-known quote, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him,” challenges the human need for a divine being rather than affirming belief in God.
As a historian, Voltaire revolutionized the field by shifting the focus from monarchs and rulers to the cultural and intellectual progress of civilizations. His work “The Age of Louis XIV” is particularly significant, introducing the concept of ‘world history’ and emphasizing the roles of culture, art, science, and philosophy.
Throughout his life, Voltaire remained committed to the principles of the Enlightenment, despite facing threats of imprisonment and exile. A tireless advocate for civil liberties, he championed religious tolerance and freedom of speech. His defense of Jean Calas, a man wrongfully executed for alleged religious crimes, demonstrates his dedication to justice and human rights.
Here are some of Voltaire’s greatest quotes:
Voltaire Quotes:
“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
“Men are equal; it is not birth but virtue that makes the difference.”
― Voltaire
“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
“Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it.”
― Voltaire
“So it is the human condition that to wish for the greatness of one’s fatherland is to wish evil to one’s neighbors. The citizen of the universe would be the man who wishes his country never to be either greater or smaller, richer or poorer.”
― Voltaire
“The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us”
― Voltaire
“It requires twenty years for a man to rise from the vegetable state in which he is within his mother’s womb, and from the pure animal state which is the lot of his early childhood, to the state when the maturity of reason begins to appear. It has required thirty centuries to learn a little about his structure. It would need eternity to learn something about his soul. It takes an instant to kill him.”
― Voltaire
“It is difficult to free people from the chains they revere.”
― Voltaire
“The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe.”
― Voltaire
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”
― Voltaire
“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”
― Voltaire
“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
― Voltaire
“Opinions have caused more ills than the plague or earthquakes on this little globe of ours. ”
― Voltaire
“If God did not exist, He would have to be invented. But all nature cries aloud that he does exist: that there is a supreme intelligence, an immense power, an admirable order, and everything teaches us our own dependence on it.”
― Voltaire
“Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”
― Voltaire
“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.”
― Voltaire
“The only way to comprehend what mathematicians mean by Infinity is to contemplate the extent of human stupidity.”
― Voltaire
“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.”
― Voltaire
“In the beginning God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since.”
― Voltaire
“We all look for happiness, but without knowing where to find it: like drunkards who look for their house, knowing dimly that they have one”
― Voltaire
