Voltaire

Voltaire (real name François-Marie Arouet) (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his criticism of Christianity—especially the Roman Catholic Church—as well as his advocacy of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Early Life

Voltaire was born in Paris in 1694. His father, François Arouet, was a lawyer who worked as a secretary to the French ambassador in Holland, where he gained a reputation for his diplomatic skills. Voltaire's mother, Marie Marguerite Daumard, was a woman of modest means. Voltaire was educated by the Jesuits at the Collège Louis-le-Grand (1704–1711), where he learned Latin and Greek; later in life he became fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English.

Career

Voltaire began his career as a secretary to the French ambassador in Holland. He soon began to write, producing a stream of essays, poems, and books that made him one of the most famous writers in Europe. He was a prolific writer, producing more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets.

Philosophy

Voltaire was a strong advocate for civil liberties, despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.

Death and Legacy

Voltaire died in 1778. Today, his legacy is as a crusader against tyranny and bigotry.

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See Also

• Enlightenment Era
• French Literature
• Freedom of Speech
• Separation of Church and State

References

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External Links

• Biography of Voltaire
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Entry on Voltaire

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