Voltaire's Impact On Education During The 17th And 18th Century

Voltaire, a French Philosophe during the Enlightenment, said, “The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbors, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.” Voltaire saw education as a way of empowering individuals and promoting new ideals and values. The Enlightenment was a transformation of culture and intellect in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. It brought significant changes to how people of the time lived their lives. One of the major features of the movement was a new focus on education. The Philosophes of the time believed that education was essential for a society to function. Education was the driving force for the Enlightenment and the overall development

Education allowed people of the time to explore a broader range of topics. People were able to read and reading became more accessible with the use of newspapers. The abundance of articles discussing Enlightenment ideas led to many “normal” people of the time being able to discover Enlightenment ideas. New publications and newspapers became cheaper allowing more people to be able to read. Since publications were cheaper the lower classes began to increase their ability to read. Education became important in spreading the ideas of the Philosophes at the time. Without the lower class people being educated enough to read the ideas of the Philosophes, the Enlightenment would not have had as great of an impact as it did on Europe. Society and culture at the time saw a great shift with an increase in the number of literate people in Europe. The newspapers gave people the ability to debate Enlightenment thought at a widespread level. The debates let people educate themselves on what people at the time were thinking. People were able to be independent in the decisions they were

Increased literacy among the people of Europe allowed Enlightenment thinking to spread. Newspapers and books became more abundant allowing more people to access information. The spreading of information allowed people to think freely which was one of the main goals of the Enlightenment thinkers at the time. The Enlightenment encouraged people to use their intelligence to form their own ideas. Immanuel Kant was one of the key Philosophes who spread the message that people of the time needed to use their own ideas to separate themselves. The goal of the Enlightenment was for people to become autonomous. Denis Diderot’s goal was to provide people with information so they could better educate themselves. Diderot’s goals led to the creation of the Encyclopedia, a book that would allow people to access information on a large range of topics. During the Enlightenment natural sciences became one of the key focal points. Issac Newton was at the center of the scientific movement of the time. Issac Newton and the development of the laws of gravity placed importance on education being used in order to describe the natural