Voltaire by Max Isambert

Francois-Maire Arouet

Born in 1964 Pairs France, Voltaire wrote a number of literary works, philosophical papers, and is considered to be one of the greatest minds during the French Enlightenment.  He advocated for religious freedom, free trade, civil liberties, and social reform. His writings were a catalyst for the French and American Revolution.

Francois would’ve been considered a rebel in today’s society. Throughout his schooling as a young boy, François went against his father’s wishes, to become a notary, and pretended to be a recorder in Paris while in fact he was writing. Once his father found out, Francois was sent to study law. Francois fell in love with a protestant refugee, in the Netherlands working as a French ambassador, and was forced again by his father to return to Paris.  Continuing to support his highest views on religious tolerance and the applications of the government, François developed a tense relationship with the authorities that landed him a couple of imprisonments and exiles. However, in one of these imprisonments, he wrote his first play OEdipe and regained his reputation. During his time at this imprisonment he also penned the name Voltaire. Voltraire’s name would be seen as a break from his past.

Voltaire would be later exiled to Britain. Curuois about the Country’s, relative, freedom of speech, Voltaire wrote a collection of essays, Letters Philosphiques sur les Anglais, which outraged Franc , the letters ridiculed the French government,  and later exiled. Throughout Voltaire’s’ life, he would be exiled from Paris a multiple of times and from Geneva.  His final stay would be Ferney just next to the border of France where he wrote Candide known to be one of his greatest works. Still during his stay in Ferney, Voltaire published Dictionnaire Philosophique which was one of his most important philosophical works. It demonstrated his views on religious order and his ideal religion that taught more morality.   During his short stays he wrote works.

Voltaire set out to see his premiere of the play Irene, in Paris. On his way to Paris he soon realized that he will not be alive any longer and wrote the following farewell words, “I die adoring God, loving my friends, not hating my enemies, and detesting superstition”.

He did, however, make it to the play and passed away during his sleep.

Voltaire will be buried by his friends in the abbey of Scellieres. He will be recognized In 1791 by the National Assembly, for being one of the most influential men during the French revolution. The National Assembly has his body moved to the Pantheon, in Paris, and it brought 1 million people to recognize his works.