We tell you who Voltaire was and what his contributions were to philosophy. Also, his relationship with empiricism and rationalism.
Voltaire was one of the representatives of the French Enlightenment.
Who was Voltaire?
Voltaire (1694-1778), born François-Marie Arouet, was a French philosopher, essayist, historian, lawyer and writer. He is known for being one of the leading figures of the Enlightenment. He was also, along with Montesquieu (1689-1755) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), one of the ideological driving forces of the French Revolution.
Known for his wit, his criticism of the Catholic Church and slavery, Voltaire believed in freedom of expression, religious tolerance and the separation of State and Church. He was a prolific writer who worked on poems, essays, stories, novels, plays, and scientific philosophical expositions. Among his best-known works are Naive, Treatise on tolerance, Philosophical dictionary and Philosophical letters.
Voltaire was one of the first thinkers of his time to gain international renown, as he was a controversial and satirical author and a staunch defender of civil rights. He argued on several occasions with Rousseau and was highly critical of several arguments developed by the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716).
Life of Voltaire
Voltaire was born in France on 21 November 1694, in the city of Paris, although some sources claim it was in Châtenay-Malabry. A member of a noble family, he was the youngest of the five children of the marriage formed by François Arouet, a prominent notary, and Marie Marguerite d’Aumar, whose bourgeois family enjoyed an excellent reputation.
Being born into a wealthy family gave him a privileged economic position. However, at age seven, he experienced the loss of his mother, an event that some historians consider momentous in his formation. His godfather, the Abbé de Châteauneuf, took charge of his education, and at the age of ten, he entered the Jesuit College Louis-le-Grand in Paris. There he showed his passion for literature and versification.
Later, he began studying law, but his true interest was in literature and Parisian literary environments. He adopted the pseudonym Voltaire and wrote satirical works that landed him in trouble and even imprisonment in the Bastille prison. Voltaire had to go into exile in England in 1726 due to problems arising from his satirical works and his critical position towards the government and the Church in France, which led him to distance himself from his father and to fall out with the Duke of Orleans. . However, in 1718, his play based on the Greek myth “Oedipus” allowed her to reconcile with both.
Exile in England not only provided him with the opportunity to escape oppression in France, but also allowed him to immerse himself in English literary circles and to make contact with leading writers and philosophers of the time, such as Alexander Pope (1688-1744) and Isaac Newton (1643-1727). During his stay in the country, Voltaire was deeply influenced by liberal ideas, developed a marked aversion to absolutism and intolerance, and became a passionate advocate of freedom of expression and religious tolerance.
These experiences shaped his thinking and writing style, and upon his return to France, his works became imbued with a critical spirit and a constant struggle for justice and reason. Exile in England became a crucial period in Voltaire’s life, allowing him to expand his vision and contribute significantly to the Enlightenment movement in Europe.
Returning to France in 1728, he participated in businesses that increased his fortune and opened the doors of the court to him. He continued writing plays and essays, facing criticism and threats. His most scandalous work, “Philosophical Letters,” defended religious tolerance and criticized the dogmatic fanaticism of Christianity. Because of this, he was condemned by Parliament and taken refuge in Cirey, where he had a long love affair with Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marchioness of Châtelet.
After returning to Paris in 1778, Voltaire’s life was marked by his continued participation in the political and cultural sphere of the time. Although he was already a recognized writer and philosopher, he continued to produce works of great importance and defend his ideas about freedom of expression and religious tolerance. In 1784, Voltaire suffered a serious illness and, in the following years, his health weakened. Finally, on May 30, 1778, Voltaire died in Paris at the age of 83.
In 1791, sixteen years after his death, Voltaire’s remains were exhumed to pay tribute to him and transferred to the Panthéon in Paris, a mausoleum dedicated to housing the remains of illustrious figures in French history. This action highlighted his significant influence on Enlightenment culture and thought, and how his revolutionary ideas and commitment to justice and freedom endured over time.
Voltaire’s legacy as a writer, philosopher, and defender of freedom of expression remains a source of inspiration today.
Voltaire’s Thought
Voltaire, recognized as a true encyclopedist and philosopher of the French Enlightenment, did not develop a coherent system of philosophy in his works. His thought, rather than a systematic exposition, was notable for its enlightened attitude and his defense of deism, influenced by his stay in England, and his criticism of atheism.
He considered the existence of God to be a fact of reason, as opposed to a matter of faith and superstition. Voltaire advocated the eradication of superstition and fanaticism, and placed his hope in scientific enlightenment as a means of freeing humanity from prejudice and superstition, promoting tolerance.
One of the best-known aspects of his philosophical criticism was directed at Leibniz’s optimism, which held that this world was the “best of all possible worlds.” Voltaire expressed his disagreement through the “Poem on the Disaster of Lisbon” and his famous literary work “Candide.” In the latter, the main characters, Candide and Pangloss (personification of Leibniz), try to justify human misfortunes in an implausible way, while Martin (personification of pessimism) presents a more skeptical view. Through his works, Voltaire mocks concepts such as purpose, pre-established harmony, and providence.
His rationalist criticism also shows the influence of the empiricism of John Locke (1632-1704). Throughout his writings, Voltaire confronted falsely spiritualist and falsely materialist conceptions.
The skeptical and resigned ending of “Candide” is memorable, with the characters’ final reflection: “Working without reasoning is the only way to make life bearable.” After their philosophical questions and their journeys, the protagonists decide to cultivate the garden, symbolizing a return to the practical and earthly. In short, Voltaire’s work represents a scathing and reflective critique of the human condition and the philosophical concepts of his time.
Voltaire’s work
Voltaire produced a vast and diverse collection of works spanning several literary genres. His works reflect Voltaire’s insight and intellectual daring, as well as his unwavering commitment to reason, freedom, and justice.
Among his most notable works are:
- Naive (1759). A satire that criticizes theodicy (the idea that justifies the existence of God despite evil) and social prejudices.
- Treatise on tolerance (1763). A passionate defense of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
- Dphilosophical dictionary (1764). An encyclopedia that covers topics such as philosophy, religion and history.
- cEnglish arts (1733). A series of epistles in which Voltaire praises the political and philosophical model of England.
His complete works, for their part, are composed of:
- Oedipus (1718)
- The henriada (1728)
- History of Charles XII (1730)
- Brutus (1730)
- Zaire (1732)
- The temple of taste (1733)
- English Letters or Philosophical Letters (1734)
- Adelaide du Guesclin (1734)
- Worldly (1736)
- Epistle on Newton (1736)
- Treatise on metaphysics (1736)
- The Prodigal Son (1736)
- Essay on the nature of fire (1738)
- Elements of Newton’s Philosophy (1738)
- Zulima (1740)
- Fanaticism or Mohammed (1741)
- Merope (1743)
- Zadig or Fate (1748)
- The world as it goes (1748)
- Nanine or The Prejudice Overcome (1749)
- The century of Louis XIV (1751)
- Micromegas (1752)
- Poem on the disaster of Lisbon (1756)
- Study on the Habits and Spirit of Nations (1756)
- History of Escarmentado’s travels written by himself (1756)
- Candide or Optimism (1759)
- The Story of a Good Brahmin (1761)
- Tancred (1760)
- The Maid of Orleans (1762)
- What ladies like (1764)
- Philosophical Dictionary (1764)
- Jeannot and Colin (1764)
- Of the horrible danger of reading (1765)
- Little digression (1766)
- The ignorant philosopher (1766)
- Treatise on Tolerance (1763)
- The Naive (1767)
- The Princess of Babylon (1768)
- The Letters of Memmius (1771)
- We must take sides (1772)
- The cry of innocent blood (1775)
- Of the soul (1776)
- Dialogues of Evémero (1777)
Reception of Voltaire’s work
The academic reception of Voltaire’s thought has been widely studied and debated in various fields of research. For example, in the field of philosophy, his criticism of theodicy is analyzed in works such as “Candide”, where he questions the notion of a benevolent God in the face of human suffering. In the field of literature, his satirical style and wit are examined in works such as “Micromegas,” a philosophical tale that mocks the idea of human supremacy in the universe. In history, his critical vision of absolute monarchy and his defense of Enlightenment ideas are studied in works such as “Essay on the Customs and Spirit of Nations.” In theology, his work “Treatise on Tolerance” is analyzed, where he argues in favor of religious freedom and criticizes the Church’s abuses of power.
Voltaire’s influence also extends to disciplines such as political philosophy, especially his ideas on the separation between Church and State and the need for a government based on reason and justice. For example, in his “Letter on Tolerance”, he defended the right of individuals to have different religious beliefs and proposed a political model based on peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance.
In relation to the French Revolution, Voltaire’s thought has been the subject of intense academic scrutiny and analysis. Voltaire’s influence on the events leading up to the Revolution and its subsequent…