“Answer me, you who believe that animals are only machines. Has nature arranged for this animal to have all the machinery of feelings only in order for it not to have any at all?”

French Enlightenment writer and philosopher of the 18th century, he is best known for his wit and sharp critiques of religious intolerance and absolutism. His works, including *Candide* and *Treatise on Toleration*, remain influential for their blend of satire and philosophical inquiry.