1,052 Quotes by Voltaire

But for what purpose was the earth formed?" asked Candide. "To drive us mad," replied Martin.

You are very harsh.''I have seen the world.

Perhaps there is nothing greater on earth than the sacrifice of youth and beauty, often of high birth, made by the gentle sex in order to work in hospitals for the relief of human misery, the sight of which is so revolting to our delicacy. Peoples separated from the Roman religion have imitated but imperfectly so generous a charity.

Ci adoriamo, ma abbiamo paura di amarci; bruciamo ambedue di un fuoco che condanniamo.

Un habile homme dans les affaires est instruit, prudent et actif: si l'un de ces trois merites lui manque, il n'est point habile.

It is an infantile superstition of the human spirit that virginity would be thought a virtue and not the barrier that separates ignorance from knowledge.

had no need of a guide to learn ignorance

It is clear that the individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of the same opinion, is a monster.

The discovery of what is true and the practice of that which is good are the two most important aims of philosophy.