Micromegas / Voltaire / Locke on Deism

Voltaire’s deism has withstood the test of time well – I could imagine an empirical Christian nodding along to its humility, dualism, and acknowledgment of a creator:

A tiny follower of Locke was standing nearby, and when it was finally his turn to speak, he said:

“I do not know how I think, but I do know that I have never thought except with the aid of my senses. That there are immaterial and intelligent substances is something I do not doubt, but that it is impossible for God to endow matter with the power of thought is something I do strongly doubt. I revere the eternal power and it is not for me to set limits on it. I affirm nothing, and I am content to believe that more things are possible than people think.”

• Voltaire