"What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature"

Tolerance, Voltaire suggests, is rooted in the very fabric of what it means to be human. Our shared existence is marked by imperfection; frailty and error are not aberrations, but the defining features of humankind. By emphasizing our collective susceptibility to mistakes and weaknesses, Voltaire calls on us to recognize our common ground: no one is infallible, and no one lives free from folly. Rather than condemning these shortcomings in others, we ought to respond with compassion. The act of pardoning each other's errors becomes a reciprocal process, an agreement among all people to accept, forgive, and move forward together despite our flaws.

Compassion and understanding become practical necessities for coexistence. Voltaire elevates this attitude to a universal mandate, labeling it “the first law of nature.” The idea is that just as gravity binds the physical world, tolerance binds human societies. Social harmony is not generated by perfection, but by acceptance. Faults, blunders, and misplaced judgments are inevitable; it is not the absence of error that sustains us, but the mutual willingness to forgive. This mutual pardon ensures the possibility of continual cooperation, peace, and progress.

Implicitly, Voltaire’s perspective rejects hypocrisy and self-righteousness. When one understands their own vulnerability to misjudgment, they become less likely to harshly criticize others for theirs. Tolerance, then, is not merely an abstract virtue, it is a practical, essential response to the realities of human nature and social life. Without it, society would devolve into a spiral of censure and retaliation, making harmonious living impossible.

Ultimately, Voltaire’s reflection challenges us all to see our shared humanity as a basis for empathy and mercy. By accepting our mutual fallibility and responding with tolerance, we honor the deepest requirements of civilized society and lay the groundwork for enduring peace and understanding.