François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), who took on the name Voltaire after one of his imprisonments for running afoul of French authorities, was a poet, writer, philosopher and historian of the French enlightenment. In fact, libertarianism.org called him “almost certainly the most important figure of the French Enlightenment,” to the extent that “The Enlightenment is sometimes referred to as ‘The Age of Voltaire.’” He was notorious for his satirical wit, famous for his style, and celebrated for his criticisms of the abuses of authority. He was also an outspoken supporter of civil liberties, including the freedoms of religion, speech, and trade, whose views influenced both the American and French revolutions.
Voltaire was one of the most productive writers in history, who, in an era of strict censorship, backed by harsh penalties, is credited with not only poetry, plays, essays, and novels, but also historical and scientific works, more than 2,000 pamphlets and books, and over 20,000 letters.
For example, As Wendy McElroy put it, “his Philosophical Letters resounded deeply within the consciousness of Europe for many decades to come. One of its themes was that freedom—especially freedom of commerce—was the true wellspring of religious toleration and of a peaceful civil society.”
- Although most of Voltaire’s his words were directed to other topics, his work offered useful insight into liberty, and government which is so often its nemesis. As the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy put it “Central to [his philosophy] is Voltaire’s conception of liberty.” In an era when the juxtaposition between liberty and government is still commonplace, his thoughts regarding liberty are still well worth remembering today.
- Man is free at the instant he wants to be.
- Liberty of thought is the life of the soul.
- Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.
- Virtue supposes liberty…Under coercion there is no virtue.
- My thought is no more subject to authority than is sickness or health.
- Liberty…about which so many volumes have been written is, when accurately defined, only the power of acting.
- Liberty is not and cannot be anything but the power of doing what we will.
- All men are by nature free.
- The true character of liberty is independence, maintained by force.
- All men are equal; it is not their birth, but virtue itself that makes the difference.
- All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free.
- All men have equal rights to liberty, to their property, and to the protection of the laws.
- If this world were what it seems it should be, it is clear that it would be impossible for one man to enslave another.
- To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.
- No opinion is worth burning your neighbor for.
- It is through our mutual needs that we are useful to the human race. That is the foundation of all commerce, the eternal link between men. Without it not a single art would have been invented, no society of ten people formed.
- A multitude of laws in a country is like a great number of physicians, a sign of weakness and malady.
- It is the poverty connected with our species which subordinates one man to another. It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.
- So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves …to put shackles upon sleeping men.
- History contains little beyond a list of people who have accommodated themselves with other people’s property.
- In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
- The tyranny of the many [is] when one body takes over the rights of others, and then exercises its power to change the laws in its favor.
Included in his vast body of writing, Voltaire offered readers insights into liberty, and especially freedom of expression, which his use of put him both in prison and in exile for criticizing those with power. And his influence reached to America’s founding. Even a famous saying falsely attributed to him says something important about his approach: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” In an age where government providers of dis- and mis-information, and others who want more government control, are so intent on policing everyone else’s words, we could benefit greatly from Voltaire’s jealous love of liberty, particularly liberty of expression.
