Book Cover of Voltaire and the French Enlightenment

Voltaire and the French Enlightenment

by Will Durant

In this Little Blue Book Number , Will Durant describes François-Marie Arouet, the writer, historian, and philosopher known as Voltaire (1694-1778) as "unprepossessing, ugly, vain, flippant, unscrupulous, even at times dishonest" and "tirelessly kind, considerate, ...as sedulous in helping friends as in crushing enemies." "My trade is to say what I think," wrote Voltaire, and he did so in ninety-nine "sparkling and fruitful" volumes. He advocated for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and for the separation of church and state. In 1791, when his ashes were carried through Paris to be re-entombed in the Panthéon, 100,000 men and women joined the procession, while 600,000 flanked the streets. Written on his funeral car were the words: "He gave the human mind a great impetus; he prepared us for freedom.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1733

Authors

Will Durant image

Will Durant

United States

William James Durant was an American writer, historian, and philosopher. He became best known for his work The Story of Civilization, which contains 11 volumes and details the history of eastern and w...

Books by Will Durant

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Life and Writings of Amelia Bloomer Cover image

Life and Writings of Amelia Bloomer by Dexter C. Bloomer

Step into the remarkable life of a pioneering advocate with "Life and Writings of Amelia Bloomer" by Dexter C. Bloomer. Unveil the hidden chapters of...

Confessions of St. Augustine Cover image

Confessions of St. Augustine by Saint Augustine of Hippo

Confessions is an autobiographical work by Saint Augustine of Hippo, consisting of 13 books written in Latin between AD 397 and 400. The work outlines...

Companionable Books Cover image

Companionable Books by Henry Van Dyke

This book, 'Companionable Books', is a collection of essays by Henry van Dyke, where he explores his personal connection with various books and author...

Annie Besant: An Autobiography Cover image

Annie Besant: An Autobiography by Annie Besant

In her autobiography, Annie Besant poignantly writes of her search for the truth of what she believed in, leaving Christianity behind to embrace Athei...

Jesus of Nazareth, A Biography Cover image

Jesus of Nazareth, A Biography by John Mark

"Jesus of Nazareth, a Biography, by John Mark," recognizes the author of the second Gospel as that "John, whose surname was Mark" (Acts 15:37), whom B...

Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers Cover image

Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Lovers by Elbert Hubbard

It explores the lives and relationships of famous couples throughout history, including Napoleon and Josephine, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett...

Lives of the Saints: With Reflections for Every Day in the Year  Cover image

Lives of the Saints: With Reflections for Every Day in the Year by Alban Butler

Compiled from the much larger 12 book set of "Butler's Lives of the Saints", this volume contains short biographies of the Saints, for each day of the...

An Authentic Narrative of Some Remarkable and Interesting Particulars in the Life of John Newton Cover image

An Authentic Narrative of Some Remarkable and Interesting Particulars in the Life of John Newton by John Newton

his former life as a slave trader and as eventual opponent of the slave trade in Britain. These 14 short letters cover his early life to about 1755 an...

A Breviate of the Life of Margaret Baxter Cover image

A Breviate of the Life of Margaret Baxter by Richard Baxter

This engaging book offers a glimpse into the life and experiences of Margaret Baxter, providing readers with a captivating narrative of her extraordin...

Peter the Great Cover image

Peter the Great by Jacob Abbott

“There are very few persons who have not heard of the fame of Peter the Great, the founder, as he is generally regarded by mankind, of Russian civiliz...

Reviews for Voltaire and the French Enlightenment

No reviews posted or approved, yet...