Voltaire and The Enlightenment - 1142 Words

The eighteenth century was a crucial changing point in the European history because of The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was revolutionary because of Voltaire, a writer that used his ideas to attack the established Catholic Church, and to propagate the freedom of religion, scientific thoughts, skepticism and experiential philosophy. Voltaire was born in 1694, a year that was under the regiment of Louis XIV. At that time, the aristocracy ruled France in an extreme way that most commoners were struggling in poverty. From a middle-class family, Voltaire did not like the political environment of France and the aristocratic system. As a well-educated and intelligent student from the college of Louis-le-Grand, he became a secretary for†¦show more content†¦By this storyline, Voltaire wanted to tell the French aristocracy that they did not have any heritage. Once they were expelled from their current positions, they needed to live as commoners, or maybe suffered more because they had never done anything in the castle. Even though Candide was expelled, he was still very happy because he always believed in optimistic philosophy. He learnt the philosophy from his teacher, Panloss, a parody of the contemporary philosophers in the seventeenth century that always argued about the metaphysics, which had no use in the real world. Also, the optimism was a satire from the philosophy of Leibniz, a popular philosopher around that time. The optimism was widely used in the Christian churches to tell people that life was always full of happiness because the perfect God created the world. Human beings suffered in the world because they did not see the greater purpose from God. The sufferings were only trials and in the end the human being would still deserve ultimate happiness. After the Lisbon’s earthquake, which killed more than 30,000 people, many of who died because they were just praying to the God without actually doing anything, Voltaire was very angry about the situation that the priests in the chu rch did not help people, but led them to sit in the church and pray. Therefore, he wanted to attack this philosophy, so in Candide he described the horribleShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of Enlightenment By Voltaire1572 Words   |  7 Pages1. Do some research on Voltaire and his beliefs as well as the era in which he wrote, which was the Age of Enlightenment. Be sure to cite your sources of information. The Age of Enlightenment occurred from the 1620s until the 1780s. This movement began in England, and steadily spread almost worldwide before long. The term Enlightenment was used to contrast the Dark Ages, a time in which innovation and free-thinking was at an all-time low. Voltaire’s French philosophy included free-thinking andRead More Voltaire and the Enlightenment Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesVoltaire and the Enlightenment During the eighteenth century a group of French writers and critics known as the Philosophes favored change and reform. They believed in the power of the human mind, which was an idea that was inspired by the Scientific Revolution. The philosophes had faith in the power of rational criticism to challenge the tradition of the past. They also sought to apply the rules of reason and common sense to nearly all major institutions and social practices. The philosophesRead MoreMontetesquieu And Voltaire And The Enlightenment844 Words   |  4 Pagesthe continent throughout the eighteenth century. This development of new thinking was known as the Enlightenment. Philosophers of the time, commonly known as philosophes, sought to bring new information and ideas to the people of Europe and the world. Ultimately, these ideas pertained to all parts of society, including the government, economic policies, and religion. The continuation of Enlightenment attitudes reinforced faith in the ideas of ch ange and progress through entertaining completely newRead MoreVoltaire s Candide And The Enlightenment Period1155 Words   |  5 PagesCandide was written by French Enlightenment writer Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, more popularly known as Voltaire. This book was published in January of 1789 in Paris, France by Sirà ¨ne. This satire was written during the Enlightenment period, and it displayed some of Voltaire’s criticisms toward the church, society and a multitude of other subjects. My teacher chose this book for the class because it exhibits the point of view of a famous philosopher in the Enlightenment period, which we studied alongRead MoreVoltaire s Theory Of The Age Of Enlightenment848 Words   |  4 Pagescommonly known as Voltaire was born November 21, 1699, in Paris, France. He was a French philosopher, historian and writer of the Age of Enlightenment. He valued the right to have your own thoughts as well as the ability to change religion. Even though he was a comp lex person, he was highly intelligent, humorous and his writing style made him one of France s greatest writers and philosophers. He supported social reform, including freedom of religion, civil rights and free trade. Voltaire had a rough relationshipRead MoreThe Age Of Enlightenment By Voltaire And Economist Adam Smith844 Words   |  4 Pages The Age of Enlightenment brought forth some of history’s greatest philosophers who introduced and provided the arguments for contemporary thought and social systems in continued use today. Although historians consider the ideas of natural rights and separation of powers in democracies of the highest order of importance, the economic theories developed by the leading thinkers of the era pervade daily life in all societies. The idea of wealth is timeless, but philosopher Voltaire and economist AdamRead MoreVoltaire s Candide : The Enlightenment Principle Of Reason1201 Words   |  5 Pagesfour values of the Enlightenment: hope, progress, natural law, and reason. Being a man of the enlightenment, it makes sense for Voltaire’s novel to include these values. Using ironic humor and satire, Voltaire managed to say what he needed to say without bein g directly responsible for having said it. As Candide reads like an adventure story, there is a lot of dialogue between characters. Through these conversations and stories, Voltaire’s Candide shows support for the enlightenment principle of reasonRead MoreThe Age Of Enlightenment Ideas Lead To Hypocrisy In Candide By Voltaire1592 Words   |  7 PagesAge of Enlightenment ideas lead to hypocrisy in Candide? The â€Å"Age of Reason†, during Europe was a time in history where people started to confide in eachother and themselves when it came to reason and logic; and it was a period when creative ability came to light and it was encouraged. This paper will examine Voltaire s Candide and the way Voltaire mocks religion and how this outlines Enlightenment thought. A decent approach to portray Candide may be the ethical quality play by Voltaire with noRead MoreVoltaire s Candide : The Enlightenment And The Intellectual Spearhead Of The French Revolution1118 Words   |  5 PagesInspired by the bold ideas that coincided with the French enlightenment, writer Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, more popularly known as Voltaire, wrote Candide, published in January of 1789 in Paris, France by Sirà ¨ne. Voltaire became known as the â€Å"fountainhead of the Enlightenment and the intellectual spearhead of the French Revolution†Ã‚ ² with his bold ideas that challenged society’s way of thinking. This satire was written during the Enlightenment period and demonstrated Voltaire’s criticisms toward theRead MoreVoltaire s Candide : A Critique Of Politics And Religion During The Age Of Enlightenment1500 Words   |  6 Pages When Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen-name Voltaire, secretly published Candide, ou l Optimisme simul taneously in five European countries in January of 1759, it was met with widespread denouncement due to its controversial content and scandalous portrayal of politics and religion. Nevertheless, the bitingly satirical novel fervently spread throughout Europe and was translated into several more languages, selling tens of thousands of copies within its first year of publication (Barnes)