I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom.

History should be written as philosophy.

Men appear to prefer ruining one another's fortunes, and cutting each other's throats about a few paltry villages, to extending the grand means of human happiness.

Virtue between men is a commerce of good actions: he who has no part in this commerce must not be reckoned.

This agglomeration which was called and which still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.

But for what purpose was the earth formed?" asked Candide. "To drive us mad," replied Martin.

We offer up prayers to god only because we have made him after our own image. We treat him like a pasha, or a sultan, who is capable of being exasperated and appeased.