How Did Voltaire Contribute To The Enlightenment?

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The Enlightenment was a period of history characterized by drastic revolution in science, philosophy, society, and politics. One of the most notable figures from the Enlightenment was Voltaire, an aristocrat philosopher who wrote prolifically, often criticizing the beliefs and practices of his time. He stood strongly against the French government and the Catholic Church and many of his works expressed this contempt. William Durant, an American philosopher, declared, “Italy had a Renaissance, and Germany had a Reformation, but France had Voltaire; he was for his country both Renaissance and Reformation, and half the Revolution” (259). Voltaire was born as Francois Marie-Arouet in Paris, France on November 21, 1694. He was the youngest of five children to Francois Arouet and Marie Marguerite d'Aumart. Born to a public official father and an aristocrat mother, Voltaire did not have an impoverished upbringing. However, he suffered great tragedy as his mother died when he was seven. Perhaps, this misfortunate caused Voltaire’s rebellious streak against his father. Voltaire grew close to “his free-thinking godfather” (“Voltaire”), Abbé de Châteauneuf, who introduced him to Deism and sparked Voltaire’s eccentric ideals. Starting in 1704, Voltaire started his classic education at the Collége …show more content…
Voltaire continuously argued for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy as he distrusted democracy, which he saw as propagating idiocy of the masses. Although Voltaire is often thought of as an atheist, he considered himself a Deist. He was highly critical of the Catholic Church as he believed the Bible was outdated and not a divine gift. All of his unorthodox views eventually gained him a bad reputation with the
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