Voltaire

French writer, historian and philosopher (1694–1778)

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Fame88.8
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Global rank#94
France rank#4
Writers rank#18
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Lived 1694–1778, aged 84France

France WritersWriter / Author

Wikipedia
178 languages
Cross-language footprint
Global rank
#94
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Era
1694–1778
Aged 84
Known for
Candide or The Optimis…
1960

Summary

Updated 2026-08-13

The pen name stuck because the man behind it made a career of poking holes in power. Voltaire turned wit into a weapon against the Catholic Church, slavery, and the French monarchy's censorship machine — and somehow became the Enlightenment's first international literary brand.

Biography

About

François-Marie Arouet was born in Paris on 21 November 1694 and adopted "Voltaire" as the name under which he'd wage war on intolerance. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets, working in every form — plays, poems, novels, essays, histories, even scientific expositions — while dodging the monarchy's censors at every turn. His polemics savaged religious dogma and the institutions that enforced it, championing freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state. Candide, his best-known novella, dismantled Gottfried Leibniz's optimism by draggin…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Voltaire

Voltaire

said1759

If this is the best of possible worlds, what then are the others?

— Candide (1759)

Voltaire

said1759

Our labour preserves us from three great evils -- weariness, vice, and want.

— Candide (1759)

Voltaire

said1759

In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.

— Candide (1759)

Voltaire

said1759

Let us work without reasoning," said Martin; "it is the only way to make life endurable.

— Candide (1759)

Voltaire

said1759

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.

— Candide (1759)

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

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