“What then do you call your soul? What idea have you of it? You cannot of yourselves, without revelation, admit the existence within you of anything but a power unknown to you of feeling and thinking.”

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.