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Let the punishments of criminals be useful. A hanged man is good for nothing; a man condemned to public works still serves the country, and is a living lesson.

— Voltaire Dictionnaire philosophique (1785)

Que les supplices des criminels soient utiles. Un homme pendu n'est bon à rien, et un homme condamné aux ouvrages publics sert encore la patrie, et est une leçon vivante.

Original text (French)

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Notes from Wikiquote

"Civil and Ecclesiastical Laws", Dictionnaire philosophique (1785-1789)

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Attribution

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