"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."
— Voltaire

January 1, 1970

Quote Details

Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Added on April 10, 2026
Unverified quote
0 likes
Fantasy authorsAcademics from FranceScience fiction authorsEssayists from FranceHistorians from France
Original Language: English

Sources

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