The French poet, dramatist, historian, and philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) was an outspoken and aggressive enemy of every injustice but especially of religious intolerance. His works are an outstanding embodiment of the principles of the French...

Voltaire, FranÇois-Marie Arouet De(1694–1778) François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire encapsulates the spirit of the French Enlightenment in both his refusal to develop a philosophical system and his clear concern for social and...

François-Marie Arouet (21 November, 1694 – 30 May, 1778), 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...

La Scala opera house has lifted its cancellation of a production of "Candide" that included a scene in which actors depicting President Bush and other world leaders danced in their underwear.Director Robert Carsen said there would be some modifications to the production, which was to...

Radicalism: Voltaire once said he might disagree with what you say, but would defend to the death your right to say it. Needless to say, Voltaire did not live in Berkeley, Calif.Free speech, as we now know, has its limits. You can't shout "fire!" in...

When NASA's newest Mars lander departs Earth this weekend, it will be carrying the words and art of visionaries from Voltaire to Carl Sagan.The "Visions of Mars" mini-disk secured to the lander will be the first library on Mars _ a gift from past and...

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2007. There are 69 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On Oct. 23, 1707, the first Parliament of Great Britain, created by the Acts of Union between England and Scotland, held its first meeting.On this...

In the following essay, O'Brien surveys Voltaire's histories, culminating in a study of the Essai sur les moers. O'Brien situates Voltaire in the early Enlightenment debates about the value and accuracy of history, suggesting that Voltaire used literary techniques to revive the status of history as a serious genre.

In this excerpt, Gordon examines the cultural and philosophical background of Voltaire's work, focusing on Voltaire's complex relationship with aristocracy, his disagreement with Leibniz, and his changing thoughts on religion.

In this excerpt, Knapp gives an overview of Voltaire's theatrical career, focusing on his influences and his tragedies. Knapp notes that Voltaire was predominantly influenced by the French classical tradition of Corneille and Racine, but was also taken with the very unclassical freedom of Shakespeare. Knapp suggests that Voltaire was conflicted about the form and formality of the drama, leading to works that sometimes manifested his confusion. His works also reveal the antidogmatic and antiestablish...