Voltaire, whose real name was François-Marie Arouet, was a French writer, philosopher, poet, dramatist, historian, and polemicist of the French Enlightenment. He was one of the greatest French writers and continues to be held in worldwide repute as a courageous crusader against tyranny, bigotry, and cruelty. Voltaire was known for his critical capacity, wit, and satire, which he used to propagate an ideal of progress to which people of all nations have remained responsive. He was an outspoken advocate of civil liberties and was at constant risk from the strict censorship laws of the Catholic French monarchy.

Voltaire was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and histories, but also scientific expositions. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. His most famous work is the philosophical fantasy Candide, published in 1759. Voltaire was also known for his historical and philosophical works, including Essais sur les moeurs et l’esprit des nations (1751), a pioneering work of universal history.

Voltaire was a philosopher before coming to England, and his time in Great Britain greatly influenced his thinking. He was intrigued by Britains constitutional monarchy in contrast to French absolutism, and by the countrys greater freedom of speech and religion. He was influenced by the writers of the time, and developed an interest in English literature, especially Shakespeare, who was still little known in continental Europe.

Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech and was famous for his criticism of Christianity, especially of the Roman Catholic Church, and of slavery. He embraced Enlightenment philosophers such as Isaac Newton, John Locke, and Francis Bacon, and found inspiration in their ideals of a free and liberal society, along with freedom of religion and free commerce.

In summary, Voltaire was known for his critical capacity, wit, and satire, which he used to propagate an ideal of progress to which people of all nations have remained responsive. He was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and histories, but also scientific expositions. He was an advocate of freedom of speech and was famous for his criticism of Christianity, especially of the Roman Catholic Church, and of slavery.