Voltaire Essays

The essay “Of Universal Tolerance,” by Voltaire, otherwise known as Francois-Marie Arouet was written in seventeen sixty-three. Voltaire a French enlightenment writer states through satire, that all religions have very different believes but that each denomination should tolerate each other regardless of their believes. After all, we are all created …

1. In the very first chapter Candide is literally kicked out of the “most beautiful and delightful of possible castles,” expelled from an “earthly paradise.” At the end of the novel, he says “we must cultivate our garden.” What is Voltaire suggesting by framing his story in this way and …

1. Napoleon Bonaparte claimed to have put into practice the ideals of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment. Do you think he did? Did his actions and the legacy of his reign represent those ideals? Explain in a short essay whether or not Bonaparte’s reign and legacy embodied the ideals …

In his work, Candide, Voltaire uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century, a period known as the Enlightenment. This Age of Reason swept through Europe, offering differing views on science, religion, and politics. The following essay will outline …

Colonial America was bursting with changes throughout the late 17th century and into the early 18th century. A new time era known as “The Enlightenment” came about which brought many advances in medicine, science, botany, and education. Also, the “Great Awakening”, a time of great religious revival flourished. A well …

Throughout Voltaire’s Candide and Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, the main characters of the works (Candide and Gulliver respectively) serve as vehicles for satire through which the authors can convey their views. It is important to note that both Candide and Gulliver serve as irons throughout the book; that is to …

During Voltaire’s lifetime, traditional social institutions and government systems held power. Arguably the most influential of those was the Catholic Church, which was considered sacred and above the state in authority and importance. Although Voltaire was a deist, he despised the Church clergy for its corruption, impiousness, and hypocrisy. Having …

What caused the French Revolution? Many things contributed to it evolving. But only three were the most important. The influence dates back all the way to the Age of Enlightenment, the ideas definitely had an effect on the French citizens. The American Revolution ties with the Enlightenment as well. The …

This paper is on the The Long Term Causes of the French Revolution. It will explain events that leaded up to the revolution and how they occured and caused the great revolution to happen. Louis XVI, who was of the royal house of Bourban, became the absolute monarch of France …

The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment were two historical events that shaped the thoughts of people and religion in America. The most important factor in both of these events is the common theme of reason behind the movements. The Great Awakening began about the 1930’s and reached its climax ten …