Voltaire Quotes on Happiness
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. This page collects quotes attributed to Voltaire on the topic of happiness, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“Let us cultivate our garden.”
Candide, closing line -
“L'homme doit être content, dit-on; mais de quoi?”
Man ought to be content, it is said; but with what? | Pensées, Remarques, et Observations de Voltaire; ouvrage posthume (1802) Posthumously published "Thoughts, remarks and observations" believed to be by Voltaire -
“Man ought to be content, it is said; but with what?”
L'homme doit être content, dit-on; mais de quoi? -
“If there were only one religion in England there would be danger of despotism, if there were two they would cut each other's throats, but there are thirty, and they live in peace and happiness.”
1730s | Letters on England , letter 6, "On the Presbyterians", trans. Leonard Tancock (Penguin Books, 1980) p. 41, published first in English in 1733 -
“Use, do not abuse; as the wise man commands. I flee Epictetus and Petronius alike. Neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy.”
1730s | "Cinquième discours: sur la nature de plaisir", Sept Discours en Vers sur l'Homme (1738) -
“We all look for happiness, but without knowing where to find it: like drunkards who look for their house, knowing dimly that they have one.”
1750s | Notebooks (c.1735-c.1750) A variation on this remark can be found in the same notebook: Men who look for happiness are like drunkards who cannot find their house but know that they have one [ Les homm