Voltaire

Biography

François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was born in Paris on November 21, 1694, to a middle-class family. His father, François Arouet, worked as a notary and minor treasury official, while his mother, Marie Marguerite Daumard, came from minor nobility. Voltaire was educated at the well-known Lycée Louis-le-Grand, a Jesuit school in Paris, where he excelled in literature and developed his lifelong skepticism toward religious authority. The classical education he received there gave him a strong base in Latin, rhetoric, and philosophy that influenced his wide-ranging literary works.

Voltaire became a key figure of the French Enlightenment, producing a huge amount of work in various genres. He began his literary career with poetry and plays but gained international fame for his philosophical writings and social criticism. Following nearly three years in exile in England after his imprisonment in the Bastille, he returned to France with a great appreciation for English political institutions and religious tolerance. He favorably contrasted these with French absolutism and Catholic orthodoxy in works like Letters on the English. These experiences strongly influenced his push for civil rights, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state.

As a philosopher and social critic, Voltaire used his writing to fight against what he saw as the wrongs and superstitions of his time. His satirical classic Candide, published in 1759, remains his most well-known work, providing a sharp critique of philosophical optimism through the misadventures of its naive main character. The book's famous conclusion about 'cultivating one's garden' reflects Voltaire's practical approach to improving human conditions. Other important works of his include the philosophical story Zadig or Destiny, the tragedy Zaïre, and the Dictionnaire philosophique, a set of essays questioning religious and political norms.

Voltaire was a prolific writer, producing more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets, making him one of the first authors to achieve international commercial success. His correspondence spanned Europe, connecting him with royals, intellectuals, and fellow thinkers. He spent his later years in Ferney, near the Swiss border, continuing to write and champion causes such as judicial reform and religious tolerance. He received recognition for his contributions through awards like the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1743 and the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order. Voltaire passed away in Paris on May 30, 1778, shortly after his celebrated return to his birthplace to oversee a revival of his tragedy Irène.