Voltaire quotes - page 3

It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind. (Voltaire)
Prejudice is an opinion without judgment.
Voltaire
The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it.
Voltaire
I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "O Lord make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it.
Voltaire
All people are equal, it is not birth, it is virtue alone that makes the difference.
Voltaire
It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.
Voltaire
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another.
Voltaire
Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.
Voltaire
The man who leaves money to charity in his will is only giving away what no longer belongs to him.
Voltaire
To hold a pen is to be at war.
Voltaire
Fools have a habit of believing that everything written by a famous author is admirable. For my part I read only to please myself and like only what suits my taste. (Voltaire)
In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.
Voltaire
Our labour preserves us from three great evils -- weariness, vice, and want.
Voltaire
Fools admire everything in an author of reputation.
Voltaire
Anything too stupid to be said is sung.
Voltaire
Even in those cities which seem to enjoy the blessings of peace, and where the arts florish, the inhabitants are devoured by envy, cares and anxieties, which are greater plagues than any expirienced in a town when it is under siege.
Voltaire
Friendship is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce.
Voltaire
We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.
Voltaire
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.
Voltaire
Illusion is the first of all pleasures.
Voltaire
No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. (Voltaire)
Superstition sets the whole world in flames philosophy quenches them.
Voltaire
Dare to think for yourself.
Voltaire
Work is often the father of pleasure.
Voltaire
Thought depends absolutely on the stomach, but in spite of that, those who have the best stomachs are not the best thinkers.
Voltaire