Skip to content

Of all the ways of defining man, the worst is the one which makes him out to be a rational animal.

— Anatole France

De toutes les définitions de l'homme, la plus mauvaise me paraît celle qui en fait un animal raisonnable.

Original text (French)

Another quote →

Notes from Wikiquote

Le Petit Pierre (1918), ch. XXXIII

More quotes by Anatole France

The gods conform scrupulously to the sentiments of their worshippers: they have reasons for so doing.

The White Stone (1905)

To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Archangel Michael, and you, Powers, Thrones, and Dominations, swear all of you to be faithful to your God.

The Revolt of the Angels (1914)

Innocence most often is a good fortune and not a virtue.

Irony is the gaiety of reflection and the joy of wisdom.

All Anatole France quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Anatole France (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.