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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/philosophy-voltaire-ideas-quotes.htm

-To Voltaire only an enlightened monarch, advised by philosophers like
himself, could bring about change as it was in the king's rational interest
to improve the power and wealth of France in the world. Voltaire is quoted
as saying that he "would rather obey one lion, than 200 rats of (his own)
species". Voltaire essentially believed monarchy to be the key to progress
and change.

Today, Voltaire is remembered and honoured in France as a courageous
polemicist, who indefatigably fought for civil rights , the right to a fair trial
and freedom of religion, and who denounced the hypocrisies and
injustices of the ancien régime. But some of his critics, like Thomas
Carlyle, argue that while he was unsurpassed in literary form, not even
the most elaborate of his works was of much value for matter, and that he
has never uttered any significant idea of his own.

It is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent
one.

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.

When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.

To believe in God is impossible not to believe in Him is absurd.

Here are 168 quotations from Voltaire:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/voltaire.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire

Voltaire's repartee continued to bring him trouble, however. After he
offended a young nobleman, the Chevalier de Rohan, the Rohan family
had a lettre de cachet issued, a secret warrant that allowed for the
punishment of people who had committed no crimes or who possibly
posed a risk to the royal family, and used it to exile Voltaire without a
trial. The incident marked the beginning of Voltaire's attempt to
ameliorate the French judiciary system.

Voltaire's exile to England greatly influenced him through ideas and
experiences. The young man was impressed by England's monarchy, as
well as the country's support of the freedoms of speech and religion. He
was influenced by several people, including such writers as Shakespeare.
In his younger years, he saw Shakespeare as an example French writers
should look to, though later Voltaire saw himself as the superior writer.
Many of his later works were influenced by this stay. After three years in
exile, Voltaire returned to Paris and published his ideas in a fictional
document about the English government entitled the Lettres
philosophiques sur les Anglais (Philosophical letters on the English). Due
to the fact that he regarded the English monarchy as more developed and
more respectful of human rights (particularly religious tolerance) than its
French counterpart, these letters met great controversy in France, to the
point where copies of the document were burned and Voltaire was forced
to leave Paris.

The town of Ferney (France) where he lived his last 20 years of life, is
now named Ferney-Voltaire. His Château is now a museum (L'Auberge de
l'Europe). Voltaire's library is preserved intact in the Russian National
Library, St Petersburg.

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