Who said: "Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers."

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers" - Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), better known by his pen name Voltaire, embodied the French Enlightenment. He was known for his wit, philosophical outlook, and defense of civil liberties, including freedom of religion.

After being imprisoned in the Bastille from 1717-1718 for lampooning the Duc d'Orléans, he adopted the name Voltaire which is an anagram of Arovet Li, the Latinized spelling of his last name. The name also echoes the syllables of a familial chateau, Airvault. It is also possible that the name was intended to connote speed and daring - volt being a French fencing term meaning to make a sudden dexterous movement to avoid a thrust, from which comes words such as volte-face.


More quotes by Voltaire

All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung.

Behind every successful man stands a surprised mother-in-law.

Common sense is not so common.

God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.

He must be very ignorant for he answers every question he is asked.

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

I know many books which have bored their readers, but I know of none which has done real evil.

If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated.

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

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

It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.

One merit of poetry few persons will deny: it says more and in fewer words than prose.

Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth.

The multitude of books is making us ignorant.

The secret of being a bore... is to tell everything.

When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.

More Quotes

This quote & biography originally ran in an issue of BookBrowse's membership magazine. Full Membership Features & Benefits.