Voltaire, born Francois-Marie Arouet in 1694, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher known for his sharp wit and biting satire.
He was a prolific writer and produced works in various genres, including plays, novels, essays, and poetry.
Voltaire’s ideas influenced the French Revolution and helped shape modern Western thought. He was a champion of free speech, religious tolerance, and reason, and his work often challenged his time’s traditional beliefs and practices.
Voltaire quotes are still widely quoted and admired today for their insight, humor, and thought-provoking nature. In this collection of Voltaire quotes, we have compiled 80 of Voltaire’s most famous and enduring quotes, which offer a glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment era.
Voltaire Quotes for Everyday Inspiration
More sayings, words, and quotes by Voltaire.
“Common sense is not so common.”
“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”
“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
“The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.”
“I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it.”
“Prejudices are what fools use for reason.”
“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”
“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.”
“I have only ever made one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’ And God granted it.”
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“The true triumph of reason is that it enables us to get along with those who do not possess it.”
“The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.”
“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.”
“All men are equal; it is not their birth, but virtue itself that makes the difference.”
Famous Voltaire Quotes and Wise Words
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
“We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies.”
“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”
“Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy.”
“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.”
“We must cultivate our own garden.”
“It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.”
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“Love truth, but pardon error.”
“The more we love our friends, the less we flatter them; it is by excusing nothing that pure love shows itself.”
“It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.”
“It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.”
“Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.”
“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.”
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”
“The true way to be deceived is to think oneself more knowing than others.”
Great Quotes from Voltaire
Insightful and wise quotes from Voltaire about various topics.
“The more you know, the less you need to say.”
“God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.”
“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.”
“The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.”
“It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.”
“The world embarrasses me, and I cannot dream that this watch exists and has no watchmaker.”
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“I do not know where I am going, but I am on my way.”
“I have only ever made one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’ And God granted it.”
“If we do not find anything very pleasant, at least we shall find something new.”
“It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love.”
“We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.”
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
“To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered.”
“I know many books which have bored their readers, but I know of none which has done real evil.”
“Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.”
Voltaire Quotes and Phrases
“The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.”
“I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it.”
“The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.”
“Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives and few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.”
“It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.”
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
“We are rarely proud when we are alone.”
“The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.”
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“We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies.”
“Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.”
“The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”
“The art of government is to make two-thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third.”
“The mirror is a worthless invention. The only way to truly see yourself is in the reflection of someone else’s eyes.”
“Injustice in the end produces independence.”
“The perfect is the enemy of the good.”
Insightful Voltaire Quotes and Sayings
“Man is condemned to be free.”
“We are rarely happy when we have no desire of happiness, but rather when we are full of desires.”
“Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.”
“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
“The most important thing in life is to decide what is the most important thing.”
“The man who is always talking about being a gentleman rarely is one.”
“The art of living is to know how to believe lies.”
“It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.”
“Love truth, but pardon error.”
“The perfect is the enemy of the good.”
“The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.”
“Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.”
Voltaire Quotes that Make You Think Deeper
“The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.”
“I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’ And God granted it.”
“The more we love our friends, the less we flatter them; it is by excusing nothing that pure love shows itself.”
“It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.”
“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”
“Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy.”
“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.”
“We must cultivate our own garden.”
Wrapping Up Voltaire Quotes
In conclusion, Voltaire’s quotes continue to inspire and challenge people around the world today. Voltaire ideas on free speech, religious tolerance, reason, and individual liberty are as relevant today as they were during the Enlightenment period.
His sharp wit, biting satire, and insight into human nature have made him one of the most influential thinkers in Western history.
Through his work, Voltaire reminds us of the importance of critical thinking, empathy, and a commitment to the pursuit of truth. His legacy lives on, and his words continue to encourage us to question, to learn, and to strive for a better world.
Learn about Voltaire’s life and work.
Quotes Directory >> Voltaire Quotes
