“Chance is a word void of sense; nothing can exist without a cause.”
- November 21, 1694 – May 30, 1778
- Born in France
- Philosopher, man of letters, historian
- Wrote many works, including “Philosophy of History,” “De Toleration,” “Philosophical Dictionary,” “Philosophical Letters,” “Oedipus,” and “Candide,” and is known as a pioneer of Enlightenment thought.
Quote
“Chance is a word void of sense; nothing can exist without a cause.”
Explanation
This quote reflects Voltaire’s belief in causality—the idea that every event or phenomenon has a cause, and that nothing happens randomly or without reason. He suggests that the concept of “chance” is meaningless because, for everything that occurs, there is an underlying cause or explanation. Voltaire’s statement challenges the idea of randomness, proposing that everything, from the simplest to the most complex occurrences, can be traced back to a cause, whether it is immediately apparent or not.
In modern contexts, this idea aligns with scientific and philosophical principles that seek to explain events and phenomena through cause-and-effect relationships. From physics to psychology, the assumption that every event has a cause is central to much of our understanding of the natural world and human behavior. Voltaire’s quote emphasizes rationality and the quest for understanding, encouraging us to seek the causes behind events instead of attributing them to chance or random occurrence.
A specific example of this principle can be seen in the scientific method, where researchers attempt to identify the causes of specific outcomes or phenomena, whether they relate to health, behavior, or natural forces. Rather than accepting that something happened by chance, scientists seek to understand the underlying mechanisms or factors responsible. Voltaire’s words encourage a mindset of inquiry, urging us to search for causes rather than attributing events to random or unexplained forces.
