Voltaire, [François Marie Arouet] (1694-1778) French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page [1-30] of 38 Voltaire quotesVoltaire QuotesVoltaire Next 30 quotes All men have equal rights to liberty, to their property, and to the protection of the laws.~ Voltaire I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.~ Voltaire In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.~ Voltaire It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.~ Voltaire It is clear that the individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of the same opinion, is a monster.~ Voltaire It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.~ Voltaire It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.~ Voltaire It is the characteristic of the most stringent censorships, that they give credibility to the opinions they attack.~ Voltaire Prejudices are what fools use for reason.~ Voltaire The art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of citizens to give to the other.~ Voltaire The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbors, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.~ Voltaire The monster, fanaticism, still exists, and whoever seeks after truth will run the risk of being persecuted.~ Voltaire The tyranny of the many would be when one body takes over the rights of others, and then exercises its power to change the laws in its favor.~ Voltaire Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.~ Voltaire Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities!~ Voltaire We have a natural right to make use of our pens as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard.~ Voltaire What is not in nature can never be true.~ Voltaire Let the laws be clear, uniform and precise; to interpret laws is almost always to corrupt them.~ Voltaire It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.~ Voltaire I may not agree with what you say, but to the death I will defend your right to say it.~ Voltaire It is amusing that a virtue is made of the vice of chastity; and it's a pretty odd sort of chastity at that, which leads men straight into the sin of Onan, and girls to the waning of their color.~ Voltaire The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.~ Voltaire Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value -- zero.~ Voltaire To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.~ Voltaire Many are destined to reason wrongly; others, not to reason at all; and others to persecute those who do reason.~ Voltaire History is fables agreed upon.~ Voltaire Your book is dedicated by the soundest reason. You had better get out of France as quickly as you can.~ Voltaire We are all full of weakness and errors, let us mutually pardon each other our follies. It is the first law of nature.~ Voltaire The ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination.~ Voltaire What is tolerance? -- it is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly -- that is the first law of nature.~ Voltaire Next 30 quotes Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print