Quote by Voltaire (FrançoisMarie Arouet)
Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy; the mad daughter of a wise mother.
Summary
This quote compares superstition to religion and astrology to astronomy, stating that superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy. It implies that superstition is the irrational and misguided offspring of religion, just as astrology is seen as a nonscientific and irrational cousin to astronomy. It suggests that while religion and astronomy have a basis in reason and knowledge, superstition and astrology are products of human fallibility and misinterpretation. Thus, superstition is portrayed as an irrational and less credible version of religion, analogous to how astrology is perceived in relation to astronomy.