Voltaire
1694 – 1778
Voltaire (1694–1778), born François-Marie Arouet, was a French Enlightenment writer and philosopher celebrated for his wit, his attacks on religious intolerance, and his advocacy of freedom of speech and the separation of church and state. His satirical novella Candide (1759), skewering naive optimism with sharp humour, remains one of the most read works in world literature. He corresponded with monarchs across Europe and was a defining voice of the Age of Reason.
Key works: Candide · Philosophical Dictionary · Zadig
Top quotes by Voltaire
“We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies.”
Read the full explanation →“It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.”
Read the full explanation →“Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”
Read the full explanation →“Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy; the mad daughter of a wise mother.”
Read the full explanation →“The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.”
Read the full explanation →“Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives.”
Read the full explanation →“It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”
Read the full explanation →“He who has not the spirit of his age, has all the misery of it.”
Read the full explanation →“Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one.”
Read the full explanation →“The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.”
Read the full explanation →
Which philosopher are you?
Six questions. No wrong answers.
Keep Voltaire in your pocket
Sagius is free to download and gives you 5 free credits, +5 when you sign up, to try the AI features — chat with Voltaire and other great philosophers, and have any quote explained with the meaning behind it.
