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Life of Voltaire
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VoltaireScience for Public Understanding
Authors: Deborah Obaruyiedo & Jasmijn de Jong
Class: V5A
Date: 18-06-2021
Subject: Science for Public Understanding
Teacher: E.H. van Dijl
, The internationally famous French philosopher François-Marie Arouet, also
known as Voltaire, was one of the five leading writers during the
Enlightenment. His work, expressing his opinion, caused a remarkable amount
of commotion. As a Deist, he opposed the dogma of organized religion of the
18th century. Contradicting world leaders to ensure general liberty. Due to
Voltaire’s advocacy for liberty of freedom, the French Revolution arose.
The world of Voltaire
In the 18th century, Europe consisted of absolute monarchies. The welfare of
citizens was progressing. The world became clear as a result of imperialism.
Therefore, the keyword of this period was rationalism.
The world was undergoing a major deviation as the Industrial Revolution began to
emerge in the middle of the century, this resulted in two contrasting ways of life. Due
to the Industrial Revolution, machinery retained time which caused wealth. The
wealthy became wealthier, while the poor became even poorer because of the huge
unemployment due to machines doing all the work. The government did not support
the unemployed at that time.
Voltaire lived during the Enlightenment, which was a period in the 18th century
where people began to rely on science and reason instead of religion and tradition.1
The Enlightenment is therefore also called The Age of Reason. The goal of the
philosophers and writers was to provoke already existing knowledge, exploring new
data and a better understanding of mankind to benefit them. It was crucial for
philosophers to come up with well established ideas so they could be accepted in
society, as society was fixed and based on theology. As the Enlightenment came in,
the generally accepted ideas were now despised and science became the main
source of reason.2 Not only did the Enlightenment focus on science, it also paid
attention to nature, mankind and human society.
In the middle of the century, the judge’s influence was boundless. There was no
tribunal during court cases, the Penal Law was in disarray because new rules
contrasted old rules. Every sentence given by the judge could be condoned by a
law.3 Throughout the 18th century, the slave industry and human trafficking enlarged
globally as millitary strength and regulation of business were closely connected. This
can be seen in one of Voltaire's masterpieces, Candide (1788), where a garble slave
encounters the heroine of the satire which can be examined as the most crucial
scene.
1
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/enlightenment
2
https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/culture-magazines/enlightenment-france
3
https://www.visitvoltaire.com/voltaire_bio.htm
Voltaire - SPU - Deborah Obaruyiedo & Jasmijn de Jong 1
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