Voltaire
and
d’Alembert
Elizabeth Salazar
And
Scott Maxey
Voltaire (1694-1778)
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French author and philosopher.
Used satire to demonstrate the ridiculousness of
society.
Admired philosophies of John Locke and ideas of Isaac
Newton.
An outspoken critic of religious intolerance and
persecution.
Believed in religious tolerance.
Main Contribution to the Enlightenment- freedom of
speech, press, religious tolerance, and opposition to
monarchy and slavery.
Most Famous Works
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Treatise on Tolerance- explained that he thought
inhumane crimes were influenced by religion.
Dictionnaire Philosophique, and Traite de
Metaphysique- outlines his natural religious views.
Candide- showed his pessimistic views on
humanity.
Jean Le Rond d’alembert (1717-1783)
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French mathematician, philosopher, physicist,
writer and music theorist.
Co-wrote the Encyclopedia.
Published raité de dynamique- a treatise on dynamics
containing “d’Alembert’s Principle,” which
states that Newton’s third law of motion is true
for bodies that are free to move as well as for
bodies rigidly fixed.
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Developed partial differential equations, a
branch of theory of calculus, and applied it to
the problem of vibrating strings
Review Questions
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1) What book exemplifies Voltaire’s
pessimistic views on humanity?
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2) How did Voltaire feel about religion?
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A) Candide
B) Treatise on Tolerance
C) Traits de Metophysique
D) Dictionnare de Philosophique
A) Hated it
B) Wanted Catholicism to dominate the
world
C) Wanted religious toleration
D) Was Atheist
3) What did Voltaire do?
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A) Write satirical stories
B) Express his views and opinions
C) Believe in religious tolerance
D) All of the above
Review Continued…
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4) What was one of d’Alembert’s main
achievement?
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A) Created calculus
B) Wrote satirical stories
C) Co-wrote the encyclopedia
D) None of the above
5) What did d’Alembert develop?
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A) Partial differential equations
B) Geometry
C) The dictionary
D) Laws of Motion