Who is Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet (French: [fʁɑ̃swa maʁi aʁwɛ]; 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his nom de plume Voltaire (; also US: ; French: [vɔltɛːʁ]), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—especially the Roman Catholic Church—and of slavery. Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Voltaire was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, histories, and scientific expositions. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. Voltaire was one of the first authors to become renowned and commercially successful internationally. H...
Read Full Biography

---

Voltaire Poems

• The Origin Of Trades
  When with a skilful hand Prometheus made
  A statue that the human form displayed,
  Pandora, his own work, to wed he chose,
  And from those two the human race arose. ...
• In Camp Before Philippsburg
  Without a bed we now sleep sound
  And take our meals upon the ground;
  And though the blazing atmosphere
  Must dreadful to the eye appear, ...
• From Love To Friendship
  If you would have me love once more,
  The blissful age of love restore;
  From wine's free joys, and lovers' cares,
  Relentless time, who no man spares, ...
• To Her Royal Highness, The Princess Of ***
  Abeauteous princess often may
  Languish in pleasure's season gay;
  The empty forms of haughty state
  Oft make life tedious to the great....
• Thelema And Macareus
  Thelema's lively, all admire
  Her charms, but she's too full of fire;
  Impatience ever racks her breast,
  Her heart a stranger is to rest....

Read All Poems

---

Voltaire Quotes

• Anything too stupid to be said is sung.
• He is a hard man who is only just and a sad one who is only wise.
• Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy.
• Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
• I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.

Read All Quotes

---

Comments about Voltaire

• Pholasai: i have to say that there is a slight bit of irony in the governments decision to quote voltaire, a french noble, during a motion of no confidence due to them lifting an eviction ban
• Seandefoe: quoting voltaire, not eamon dunphy, minister hildegarde naughten says we need good housing, not perfect housing
• Bsdlyricbot: i'm trying to earn a set of feathery wings i wish i could protect you here oh please don't cry now, smile - feathery wings | aurelio voltaire (atsushi nakajima)
• Anthonywodillon: it is a dangerous thing to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. (voltaire, 1751)
• Stenstenzel: work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – voltaire

Read All Comments