François-Marie Arouet, known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his criticism of Christianity, especially the Roman Catholic Church, as well as his advocacy of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.
- Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
- Common sense is not so common.
- We must cultivate our garden.
- I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.
- The best is the enemy of the good.
- If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.
- Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
- It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.
- Love truth, but pardon error.
- God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
