Voltaire

In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.

— Voltaire

Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.

— Voltaire

History is the study of the world's crime

— Voltaire

We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good; we do the best we know.

— Voltaire

It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.

— Voltaire

Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.

— Voltaire

Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and…

— Voltaire

Being unable to make people more reasonable, I preferred to be happy away from them

— Voltaire

When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease…

— Voltaire

Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively.

— Voltaire

God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.

— Voltaire

It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.

— Voltaire

Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life

— Voltaire

Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.

— Voltaire

Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need

— Voltaire

“Morality is everywhere the same for all men, therefore it comes from God; sects differ, therefore they are the work of men.”

— Voltaire

“The Jews are an ignorant and barbarous people, who have long united the most sordid avarice with the most detestable superstition and…

— Voltaire

A fool is a person who guesses and gets it wrong, a clever man is one who guesses, regardless of time period,…

— Voltaire

“mankind have a little corrupted nature, for they were not born wolves, and they have become wolves; God has given them neither…

— Voltaire

Common sense is both more rare and more desirable in leaders than mere intelligence.

— Voltaire

“The Apology (of Socrates) is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he defends himself against the charges of being…

— Voltaire

A witty quote proves nothing.

— Voltaire

“Always beware of turning religion into metaphysics: Morality is its essence.”

— Voltaire

Regimen is superior to medicine, especially as, from time immemorial, out of every hundred physicians, ninety-eight are charlatans

— Voltaire

I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is…

— Voltaire