François-Marie Arouet: Nom De Plume Voltaire

Biography Profile

Introduction:

Who is this person?

François-Marie Arouet, known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a historian, Enlightenment writer, and philosopher. He was born November 21, 1694 in Paris,France. He later died May 30, 1778, in his hometown of Paris, France.

What are his/her accomplishments?

Voltaire accomplished four major subjects in his life; poetry, plays, philosophical works, and historical works. Two of his most known poetic works were; Henriade (1723) and The Maid of Orleans, which he started writing in 1730, but never fully completed. Oedipus, a tragedy, and one of Voltaire’s earliest works was performed in 1718. After this he kept writing more tragedies, which included Mariamne (1724), and Zaire (1732). He wrote two more plays, which were titled Mahomet (1736), and Nanine (1749). Some of Voltaire's notable historic works were; The Age of Louis XIV (1751), and Essay on the Customs and the Spirit of the Nations(1756). In the Customs and the Spirit of the Nations, Voltaire traced the progression of world civilization, and focused on social history and the arts. He also wrote some philosophical short stories, that later became very popular. Some of them are Micromegas (1752), and Plato’s Dream (1756). Candide, one of Voltaire’s famed satirical

One of the most influential people in my mind that helped Voltaire was his godfather, the Abbé de Châteauneuf. He introduced him to deism. “Deism is belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe. The term is used chiefly of an intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that accepted the existence of a creator on the basis of reason but rejected belief in a supernatural deity who interacts with humankind.” (Google) Being noted for skepticism and wit, he taught Voltaire to recite lines from the satirical poem,