If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.

Si Dieu n'existait pas, il faudrait l'inventer.

Voltaire

More information about this quote

Topic

Existence of God God

Author

Voltaire

Source

Letter to the Author of The Three Imposters

Medium

Letter

Language

French

Time

1768 1760s 18th century

Occupation

Philosopher Writer

From

France Europe

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Voltaire. Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs [Letter to the author of The Three Impostors]. 10 Nov. 1770.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Voltaire about existence of god: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
Download
A quote by Voltaire about existence of god: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
Download
A quote by Voltaire about existence of god: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
Download

Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Voltaire

I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy propensities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one’s very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?

Voltaire

Candide

Buy Candide at Amazon Buy Candide at Amazon
Read Candide at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Love of life

Author

Voltaire
Source
Candide
Medium
Novel
Genre
Satire
Language
French
Time
1759 1750s 18th century
Era
Age of Enlightenment
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Voltaire. Candide, ou l'Optimisme [Candide: or, All for the Best]. Geneva: Gabriel Cramer, 1759, ch. 12.

Current Citation

Voltaire. Candide, edited by Nicholas Cronk. W. W. Norton & Company, 2016, ch. 12.

Another quote from the 1760s

Censorship is crucial for preserving morals but useless for restoring them.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Social Contract

Buy The Social Contract at Amazon Buy The Social Contract at Amazon
Read The Social Contract at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Censorship Morality

Author

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Source
The Social Contract
Genre
Political literature Philosophical literature
Language
French
Time
1762 1760s 18th century
Era
Age of Enlightenment
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique [On the Social Contract or Principles of Political Law]. Amsterdam: Marc Michel Rey, 1762, bk. 4, ch. 7.

Current Citation

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. "Of the Social Contract." Of the Social Contract and Other Political Writings, translated by Quintin Hoare. Penguin Classics, 2012, bk. 4, ch. 7.

Another quote about God

There is in God, some say,
A deep but dazzling darkness.

Henry Vaughan

Silex Scintillans

More information about this quote
Topic
Nature of God God

Author

Henry Vaughan
Source
Silex Scintillans
Medium
Poem
Language
English
Time
1655 1650s 17th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Vaughan, Henry. "The Night." Silex Scintillans. London: H. Blunden, 1655.

Another quote originally in French

In the desert there is all-and yet nothing…God is there and man is not.

Honoré de Balzac

La Comédie humaine

Read A Passion in the Desert at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
The desert

Author

Honoré de Balzac
Source
A Passion in the Desert La Comédie humaine
Medium
Novel
Language
French
Time
1830 1820s 19th century
Authentication Score 2
Citation

De Balzac, Honoré. "Une passion dans le desert [A Passion in the Desert]." Revue de Paris, 26 Dec. 1830.