~ An appreciation of the enlightened wit and wisdom of the French philosopher Voltaire ~
Brief bio: François-Marie Arouet ( 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state. Voltaire was a prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poetry, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform, despite strict censorship laws with harsh penalties for those who broke them. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma and the French institutions of his day. Source
Favorite Voltairisms:
Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.
If there were no God, it would have been necessary to invent him.
The true triumph of reason is that it enables us to get along with those who do not possess it.
Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.
If Christians want us to believe in a Redeemer, let them act redeemed.
The more I read, the more I meditate; and the more I acquire, the more I am enabled to affirm that I know nothing.
Common sense is not so common.
One always speaks badly when one has nothing to say.
Source
Brief bio: François-Marie Arouet ( 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state. Voltaire was a prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poetry, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform, despite strict censorship laws with harsh penalties for those who broke them. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma and the French institutions of his day. Source
Favorite Voltairisms:
Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.
If there were no God, it would have been necessary to invent him.
The true triumph of reason is that it enables us to get along with those who do not possess it.
Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.
If Christians want us to believe in a Redeemer, let them act redeemed.
The more I read, the more I meditate; and the more I acquire, the more I am enabled to affirm that I know nothing.
Common sense is not so common.
One always speaks badly when one has nothing to say.
Source
