Voltaire “was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher. Despite the strict censorship laws and harsh penalties of the period, he was an outspoken supporter of social reform and defender of civil liberties. A prolific writer, Voltaire produced works in almost every literary form, including plays, poetry, novels, essays, and historical works. Throughout his life, Voltaire wrote over 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. Voltaire used his satirical works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day as he advocated for freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state. His writing reflected his prevailing belief that, although they must function …show more content…
His father was François Arouet, a notary, then later an auditor for the French government; his mother, Marie Marguerite d'Aumart, was from a noble family of Poitou province. Voltaire was the youngest of five children and claimed to be born out of wedlock. Voltaire referred to himself as the "bastard of Rochebrune." Because he believed himself to be the child of a French officer, Guerin de Rochebrun who was a minor poet and a writer of popular songs. Voltaire’s mother passed away when he was only 7 years old. Following her death, he sought refuge under his godfather, Abbé de Châteauneuf, a noted freethinker and epicurean who exposed Voltaire to freethinking ways. His godfather made him recite Mosaide, a poem which denounces all religions as fantastic and …show more content…
Voltaire was a key figure of the Enlightenment in that he emboldened those fighting for reason, rights and reform in both Europe and America. Many of the the founding fathers of the United States studied Voltaire’s work and related to Voltaire’s experiences of being oppressed by governments. The Founding Fathers included ideals about protecting citizens from any one Church or religion, setting up a legal separation of Church and state as they often heeded Voltaire’s warnings of a government that persecuted those with differing opinions or beliefs. Voltaire identified the manner in which his countrymen were controlled by the fear that they could be arrested and/or killed for dissention.
Some of the specific political changes Voltaire campaigned for included the right to a fair trial, an end of government censorship and ending the right of a politician or clergy member to have an individual arrested without substantial reason. Voltaire contrasted with the belief of many in government, as he believed that human rights should be considered above spiritual texts in the context of the court. He thought that it is the government’s main duty to ensure the rights of the