I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

-Voltaire

This sentence is so widely circulated that it is regarded as a "wise saying" even in Voltaire's native France! It is under the cover of this "famous saying" that some deviant words, some shocking words, especially some xenophobic, xenophobic and racist words in France in recent years have been able to enter the room openly and become popular on TV, radio, lectures, salons and newspapers. It seems that everything can be allowed under the banner of "defending the right to speak to the death"! Speech enjoys the right of "absolute freedom". However, this is just an "illusion". Absolute freedom of speech does not exist and should not exist, just as Voltaire's "famous saying" is just a misinformation! Voltaire never said such a thing, or even thought of it.

evelyn beatrice hall, a British woman writer, first put forward this famous saying. She quoted this sentence in a book entitled Friends of Voltaire published in 196. Later, it was quoted again in another book, Voltaire in Letters. But then Hall made it clear that she "summarized" Voltaire's thoughts. Her basis is the "helvetius Incident". Voltaire didn't like the book On Spirit written by claude adrien helvetius, calling it "a bunch of disorganized thoughts"; But when the encyclopedic philosopher's book was attacked by the church and the authorities after it was published, Voltaire defended it. So Hall wrote when commenting on this matter: "I don't agree with you, but I will defend your right to speak to the death" has been his consistent attitude ever since. " She "mistakenly" put quotation marks on her own comment, which made later generations think that it was quoted from Voltaire himself. Hall herself later admitted in a letter on May 9, 1939 that she "mistakenly" put this sentence in quotation marks, which led to readers' misunderstanding. She wrote in the letter: "The sentence you read in my book Voltaire in Letters,' I don't agree with you, but I will defend your right to speak to the death', is my own words, and I should not put it in quotation marks. The mistake I made unintentionally misled you and made you think it was a sentence of Voltaire. Please accept my apology. " Hall's letter was later included in a book published in 1943. Charles Wiltz, curator of the Voltaire Museum in Geneva, mentioned this matter in a TV interview in 1994 to prove that Voltaire had never said or written this "famous saying".