Voltaire Quotes
Francois-Marie Arouet, known by his pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit and his advocacy of civil liberties. He authored more than seventy works across virtually every literary form, including the satirical novella Candide and the Philosophical Dictionary. The quotes below are attributed to Voltaire, organized by topic.
Voltaire on God
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
Voltaire on Knowledge
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“Common sense is not so common.”
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”
Voltaire on Life
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“Let us cultivate our garden.”
Voltaire on Mind
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“Prejudices are what fools use for reason.”
Voltaire on Politics
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.”
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
Voltaire on Virtue
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“The best is the enemy of the good.”
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Attributed to Voltaire:
“All people are good except those who are idle.”
Things actually not said by Voltaire
A number of widely-shared lines are circulated as Voltaire but are in fact from someone else. Did Voltaire say these? No. Each entry below pairs the line with the person who actually wrote it.
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Did Voltaire say this? No.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
This line was written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall in her 1906 book The Friends of Voltaire, where she used it as a one-sentence summary of Voltaire's attitude toward freedom of speech. Hall later confirmed in correspondence that the words were her own and not a quotation. Despite this, the line continues to be cited as a direct Voltaire quotation in countless books and speeches.