AP+2015-16+Voltaire

Caleb Dusek: Historical Impact

Voltaire, whose real name was François-Marie Arouet, was born on November 21, 1694, in Paris, France. throughout his life, he was a writer, historian, and philosopher whose work was instrumental in bringing about the age of enlightenment. “ He was, however, a vigorous defender of a conception of natural science that served in his mind as the antidote to vain and fruitless philosophical investigation” (Shank 1). As a philosopher and writer, Voltaire was one of the key figures in the age of enlightenment. His works, which included over 50 plays and thousands of letters, brought into question the traditional and cultural beliefs of Europe in the early 18th century. One of Voltaire’s most fundamental, and controversial, philosophies was that everything in the universe could be explained through “natural science” and reasoning. This teaching helped to reaffirm many of the ideas and discoveries made during the scientific revolution only a few years prior. He was especially fascinated by the work of Sir Isaac Newton, which would never have gained so much popularity if it had not been for Voltaire’s writing. Other than science Voltaire also stirred up much controversy in regards to the political, religious, and justice systems in Europe, all of which had become corrupt and ineffective. At the time, Voltaire’s work was so hated by the government of France that he was exiled to Switzerland, and many of his books were publicly burned.The age of enlightenment shaped many significant events over the course of the next 50 years. Voltaire, and other philosophers like him, are much to blame for The French and American revolutions, and the system of governments following them.

[|__http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/voltaire/__] Shank, J.B. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2015 Edition), Stanford University. July 30, 2015. Web. November 6, 2015.

[|__http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-should-know-about-voltaire__] Evan Andrews. History.com. The History Channel, November 21, 2014, Web, November 6, 2015.

Joshua Sumpter: Cultural Guidelines Voltaire had a great impact on philosophy, especially during the enlightenment era. He took on skepticism as a stance for most issues and held that no authority was so great as to not be challenged by logic and reason. Although, Voltaire’s personal religious beliefs may have included a god, he was certainly critical of the church leadership at the time. When describing Voltaire’s contribution to society, Shank stated “ This entanglement of philosophy with social criticism and reformist political action, a contingent historical outcome of Voltaire's particular intellectual career, would become his most lasting contribution to the history of philosophy” (Shank). The impact that this had on culture was that philosophers began to be more critical of established religious doctrine and look to more concrete answers as to some of the answers to life’s questions. Instead of finding answers within the religious texts that were common, philosophers began to examine human experiences to search for answers, rather than unprovable doctrines. This resulted in a culture that focused much more on finding answers introspectively, within their own experiences, rather than in religious texts which had possessed answers. This movement toward human discovery and knowledge, rather than reliance on a deity was a large portion of the Enlightenment era. Shank, J.B., "Voltaire", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2015 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = . http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/voltaire/

Luke Hankins: Aim

Voltaire was an enlightenment writer/thinker and, like many others was a deist. He took his reputation as a good writer (that he developed with his many plays and essays) to challenge the way of thinking of his time. His beliefs and philosophies rejected the Roman Catholic Church and offered what he saw as better alternative. His ideas were fueled by the enlightenment movement, a movement that emphasized freedom of religion and democratic government, more towards the end of extending personal freedoms: “ From an early age, Voltaire had trouble with the French authorities for his energetic attacks on the government and the Catholic Church, which resulted in numerous imprisonments and exiles throughout his life” (Mastlin 1). His purpose was not necessarily to incite a revolution, but rather to share his beliefs- beliefs that resonated with many French people, as the French Government and Catholic church were effectively running the country in a sort of joint-aristocracy; he “denounced the hypocrisies and injustices of the Ancien Régime, which involved an unfair balance of power and taxes between the First Estate (the clergy), the Second Estate (the nobles), and the Third Estate (the commoners and middle class, who were burdened with most of the taxes)” (Mastlin 1). The ideas he and other thinkers shared about man’s deserved freedoms were at odds with the governing bodies at the time and eventually led to the American Revolution. The revolution led to conflict between countrymen and their country in Europe as well, so, in some way, Voltaire’s writings led to the revolution that took place in his own country. Even as a person who was born well-off, Voltaire wrote to persuade people that men were equal and deserved equal freedoms, regardless of their ancestry.

[|__http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_voltaire.html__]

Mastlin, Luke. "Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet) By Individual Philosopher Philosophy." Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet) By Individual Philosopher Philosophy. N.p., 2008. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.



Christopher Yates: Audience

 Voltaire was a renowned French Enlightenment writer of diverse talent, known for not only his philosophical works, but his poetry, plays, and historical works as well. Despite the variety of his works, however, his audience was focused on largely the same target: those in power, both politically and religiously. This rebelliousness against authority led to Voltaire’s arrest and exile on multiple occasions, as described by this excerpt from Biography.com, “ In 1715, Voltaire was exiled to Tulle for mocking the regent Orleans. In 1717, he returned to Paris, only to be arrested and exiled to the Bastille for a year on charges of writing libelous poetry” (Biography). Voltaire did not necessarily have a specific target at which he consistently directed his criticisms, but rather, was analytical of all those he found to be guilty of moral disfavorability. In particular, Voltaire fought for social reform, advocating for the “defence of civil liberties, freedom of religion and free trade” (Mastin) and attacking all those who opposed these. He also often criticized catholic dogma and the policy decisions of the French government, going after the church leaders and political figures of the time. His audience also extended through histories to such figures as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, who used his works on philosophy and stances on civil liberties to shape their own ideology. Voltaire was a writer surely beyond his time, widely criticized for his works by those he opposed but highly praised by those that saw the truth in his words. The echoes of his writings continue to be felt to this day.  Works Cited Mastin, Luke. "Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet)." The Basics of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2015. "Voltaire Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.