Philosophes
 Background
Story?
 Friends (enemies) in High
Places?
 Core Beliefs?
 Most Important Writings?
- General message of each
 Lasting Impact/Influence?
 Epitaph?
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Born November 21, 1694 in Paris, France,
where he was also educated to become a
lawyer, like his father.
He remained there until 1726 when he was
exiled to England due to his plays and
poems that offended the monarch.
After six years in England, he eventually
spent time in Prussia with the admiration
of Frederick the Great. During this period
he wrote Letters to the English (1734)
which praised the English religious liberty,
Parliament, and commercial spirit.
Voltarie’s only lasting friend in a high
place was Countess Emilie de Chatelet in
Lorraine, who was also his lover and with
which he wrote Elements of the Philosophy
of Newton.
Voltaire also briefly spent time in
Switzerland but was removed due to his
ideas which were in opposition to Calvin’s.
Epitaph: “Crush
the infamous
thing.”/Here lies
the literary
dictator.
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Wrote Candide (1759), a satire attacking war, religious
persecution, and superstition.
Philosophical Dictionary (1764), showed Biblical
inconstancies and corruption in Church; “Crush the
infamous thing;” did believe in God but was disenchanted
with the establishment of the Catholic Church
Moved to Ferney in 1760 and used the town as his testing
ground for ideas including draining marshes and a model
farm; “Europe’s Inn-Keeper”
Pessimistic: aristocracy was a parasite, commoners were
ignorant, and the Church was oppressive but supported
monarchies
Believed in expanding civil rights, specifically fair trials
and religious freedom
Drank coffee 50-72 times a day
Background: He was a lawyer,
noble of the robe, member of
provincial parlement, and a
member of the Bordeaux
Academy de Science.
Friends in High Places: Yes
Beliefs: European
Lifestyle=irrational, there’s no
one perfect government for every
country, division of power in
government, monarchs should be
subject to their own laws.
Epitaph:
“Tous les
hommes,
toutes les
nations,
dans la
mort,
tombent
egale.”
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Writings: “The Persian Letters” (1721)
Satirized contemporary institutions
“Spirit of the Laws” (1748) British
constitution=good, represented internal
tensions of Enlightenment
Lasting effect: idea of separation of power
seen in U.S. constitution
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From a family of craftsmen who were
irritated by the privileged middle class
running Geneva.
Father read him stories as a child that
gave him romantic notions of human
life.
Francois-Louise De Warens was a
noble woman who was paid to convert
Calvinists to Catholicism. She took I
Rousseau and helped him to find a
profession
Rousseau was also friends with
Diderot until they had a fight over
philosophy one night at dinner.
Uncorrupted morals prevail in the
state of nature.
Epitaph:
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The more men deviate from nature, the worse off
they are.
Believed in the social contract.
Believed society corrupted the natural goodness
in man.
Discourse on the Arts and Sciences- arts and
sciences corrupt human morality and discussed
nature vs. man.
Social Contract- theory about the best way to
establish a political community in the face of the
problems of a commercial society
Inspired Robespierre during the Reign of Terror
during the French Revolution
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Formal education in France
Abandoned idea of entering
clergy and law school
Disowned by father for becoming
a writer
Married a lower class woman
which further distanced him from
his father
Became friends with Rousseau
Promoted optimistic belief that all
knowledge could be acquired
through scientific
experimentation and the exercise
of reason.
Epitaph: “There is only one
passion, the passion for
happiness.”
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Championed the value and uniqueness of the
individual
Focused on life on Earth instead of religious
afterlife
Promoted peace of mind, hostile towards
slavery and colonization
Created Encyclopedia in 1772 which included
ideas on religion, government, philosophy,
manufacturing, and agriculture
The Encyclopedia is still used today and a
great source of information for anyone