“You despise books; you whose lives are absorbed in the vanities of ambition, the pursuit of pleasure or indolence; but remember that all the known world, excepting only savage nations, is governed by books.”

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.