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

In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to the other.

Voltaire

Philosophical Dictionary

Buy the Philosophical Dictionary at Amazon Buy the Philosophical Dictionary at Amazon
Read the Philosophical Dictionary at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Purpose of government

Author

Voltaire
Source
Philosophical Dictionary
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
French
Time
1764 1760s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Voltaire. "Argent [Money]." Dictionnaire Philosophique [Philosophical Dictionary]. c. 1764.

Another quote from the 1760s

Consider, Sir, how insignificant this will appear a twelvemonth hence.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon
Read The Life of Samuel Johnson at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Perspective
Speaker
Samuel Johnson

Author

James Boswell
Source
The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D
Genre
Biography
Language
English
Time
1763 1760s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry by James Boswell. 6 July 1763.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

Another quote about God

If cows and horses or lions had hands, or could draw with their hands and make things as men can, horses would have drawn horse-like gods, cows cow-like gods, and each species would have made the gods' bodies just like their own.

Xenophanes

More information about this quote
Topic
Nature of God God and man God Anthropomorphism

Author

Xenophanes
Medium
Presocratic fragment Fragment
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
Greek
Time
5th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 0
Original Citation

Xenophanes. Fragments. 5th century BC, DK21 B15.

Current Citation

Xenophanes. "Xenophanes of Colophon." The First Philosophers: The Presocratics and Sophists. Oxford World Classics, 2009, DK21 B15.

Another quote originally in French

I think, therefore I am.

René Descartes

Discourse on Method

Buy Discourse on Method at Amazon Buy Discourse on Method at Amazon
Read Discourse on Method at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Nature of man

Author

René Descartes
Source
Discourse on Method
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
French
Time
1637 1630s 17th century
Era
Age of Enlightenment
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Descartes, René [published anonymously]. Discours de la Méthode: Pour bien conduire sa raison, et chercher la vérité dans les sciences [Discourse on Method: To Conduct Reason Well, and Seek Truth in the Sciences]. Leiden, 1637, pt. 4.

Current Citation

Descartes, René. Discourse on the Method, translated by Ian Maclean. Oxford University Press, 2008, pt. 4.