“I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be devoured by sorrow.”

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.