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French culture is very interesting and I have been reading up on important philosophers. Voltaire * November 21, 1694 in Paris; † May 30, 1778 was a French philosopher and writer. He is one of the most widely read and influential authors of the Enlightenment.
Especially in France, the 18th century is also called "the century of Voltaire" (le siècle de Voltaire). As a lyricist, dramatist, and epic poet, he wrote primarily for the French educated bourgeoisie; as a storyteller and philosopher, he wrote for the entire European upper class during the Age of Enlightenment, whose members usually mastered the French language and read French-language works, some of them in the original. Many of his works went through several editions in rapid succession and were often promptly translated into other European languages. Voltaire had an excellent knowledge of English and Italian and published several texts in them as well. He spent a considerable part of his life outside France and knew the Netherlands, England, Germany and Switzerland from his own experience.
With his criticism of the abuses of absolutism and feudal rule, and of the ideological monopoly of the Catholic Church, Voltaire was a pioneer of the Enlightenment and an important forerunner of the French Revolution. In presenting and defending what he believed to be right, he showed extensive knowledge and empathy for the ideas of his contemporary readers. His precise and universally understandable style, his often sarcastic wit, and his art of irony are often considered unsurpassed.
French culture is very interesting and I have been reading up on important philosophers. Voltaire * November 21, 1694 in Paris; † May 30, 1778 was a French philosopher and writer. He is one of the most widely read and influential authors of the Enlightenment.
Especially in France, the 18th century is also called "the century of Voltaire" (le siècle de Voltaire). As a lyricist, dramatist, and epic poet, he wrote primarily for the French educated bourgeoisie; as a storyteller and philosopher, he wrote for the entire European upper class during the Age of Enlightenment, whose members usually mastered the French language and read French-language works, some of them in the original. Many of his works went through several editions in rapid succession and were often promptly translated into other European languages. Voltaire had an excellent knowledge of English and Italian and published several texts in them as well. He spent a considerable part of his life outside France and knew the Netherlands, England, Germany and Switzerland from his own experience.
With his criticism of the abuses of absolutism and feudal rule, and of the ideological monopoly of the Catholic Church, Voltaire was a pioneer of the Enlightenment and an important forerunner of the French Revolution. In presenting and defending what he believed to be right, he showed extensive knowledge and empathy for the ideas of his contemporary readers. His precise and universally understandable style, his often sarcastic wit, and his art of irony are often considered unsurpassed.