Voltaire





Voltaire

Author profile


born
in Paris, France
November 21, 1694

died
May 30, 1778

website

genre


About this author

François-Marie Arouet, better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, deist and philosopher known for his wit, philosophical sport, and defense of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade.

Voltaire was a prolific writer, and produced works in almost every literary form, authoring plays, poetry, novels, essays, historical and scientific works, over 20,000 letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets.

He was an outspoken supporter of social reform despite strict censorship laws and harsh penalties for those who broke them. A satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize Catholic Church dogma and the French institutions of his day.

His views of non-western peo...more


Average rating: 3.75 · 86,893 ratings · 3,178 reviews · 276 distinct works · Similar authors
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More books by Voltaire…
“Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”
Voltaire

“‎Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”
Voltaire

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
Voltaire

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