When the masses get involved in reasoning, everything is lost.

Quand la populace se mele de raisonner, tout est perdu.

Voltaire

More information about this quote

Topic

The masses Democracy Political theory

Author

Voltaire

Medium

Letter

Language

French

Time

1766 1760s 18th century

Occupation

Philosopher Writer

From

France Europe

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Voltaire. Letter to Etienne Noel Damilaville. 1 Apr. 1766.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Voltaire about the masses: “When the masses get involved in reasoning, everything is lost.”
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A quote by Voltaire about the masses: “When the masses get involved in reasoning, everything is lost.”
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A quote by Voltaire about the masses: “When the masses get involved in reasoning, everything is lost.”
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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 never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it.

Voltaire

More information about this quote
Topic
Enemies

Author

Voltaire
Medium
Letter
Language
French
Time
1767 1760s 18th century
Authentication Score 1
Citation

Voltaire. Letter to Etienne Noel Damilaville. 16 May 1767.

Another quote from the 1760s

Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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
Freedom Liberation The human condition

Author

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Source
The Social Contract
Genre
Political literature Philosophical literature
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
French
Time
1762 1760s 18th century
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. 1, ch. 1.

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. 1, ch. 1.

Another quote about Political theory

All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter.

On Conciliation with America

More information about this quote
Topic
Political compromise Political theory
Speaker
Edmund Burke
Source
On Conciliation with America
Medium
Speech
Genre
Political speech
Language
English
Time
1775 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Burke, Edmund. "Speech on Conciliation with America." House of Commons. 22 Mar. 1775, Palace of Westminster, Westminster, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Burke, Edmund. "Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies." The Portable Edmund Burke, edited by Isaac Kramnick. Penguin, 2009.

Another quote originally in French

The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said, "This is mine," and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Discourse on Inequality

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Read A Discourse on Inequality at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Civil society Property rights

Author

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Source
Discourse on Inequality
Genre
Political literature
Language
French
Time
1755 1750s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discours sur l'origine et les fondemonts de l'inegalite parmi les hommes [Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men]. Amsterdam: Marc-Michel Rey, 1755, pt. 2.

Current Citation

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, translated by Donald A. Cress. Hackett, 1992, pt. 2.