Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionHistorian
Date of Birth21 November 1694
CityParis, France
CountryFrance
ignorance needs guides
had no need of a guide to learn ignorance
ignorance animal two
I envy animals for two things - their ignorance of evil to come, and their ignorance of what is said about them.
ignorance knowledge would-be
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.
ignorance learning political
He must be very ignorant for he answers every question he is asked.
ignorance stupidity appearance
The more often a stupidity is repeated, the more it gets the appearance of wisdom.
judge questions rather
Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers.
french-writer judge man questions rather
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
burning earth few men opens persecute preachers teach
What will the preachers say? ... to teach men not to persecute men: for, while a few sanctimonious humbugs are burning a few fanatics, the earth opens and swallows up all alike.
chains fools free french-writer hard
It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.
good objects philosophers-and-philosophy practice pursuit true
The pursuit of what is true and the practice of what is good are the two most important objects of philosophy.
crime-and-criminals crimes history portrayal
History is no more than the portrayal of crimes and misfortunes
duty goal pleasure rational
Pleasure is the object, duty and the goal of all rational creatures.
failure lost ruined twice won
I was never ruined but twice - once when I lost a lawsuit, once when I won one
charlatans faith hundred regimen superior time
Regimen is superior to medicine, especially as, from time immemorial, out of every hundred physicians, ninety-eight are charlatans