Voltaire's Candide and Other Works

French Enlightenment Writer, Satirist, Essayist, Philosopher

Jan 11, 2010
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Voltaire, French Writer, Satirist, Philosopher - Catherine Lusuriere, Wikimedia Commons

Voltaire's life works and brief biography, famous for many satires including his best known Candide, and Philosophical Letters.

One of the leading figures of 18th century’s Enlightenment Period, French thinker Voltaire was not only a philosopher but a great writer, satirist and essayist, famous for satire Candide and Philosophical Letters.

Voltaire's Early Years in a Nutshell

Voltaire was born to a wealthy family in Paris. Born on November 21, 1694, his real name was Francois-Marie Arouet.

Initially, he went to a college run by Jesuit priests to study law. He later rebelled against his parents’ wishes by pursuing a literary career. He suffered from ill-health but had great energy.

Voltaire the Enlightened Writer

As a writer, and for his enlightened ideas, Voltaire was imprisoned in the Bastille for writing libelous poems. It was during this time he wrote tragedies, and also adopted the name ‘Voltaire.’ When he was imprisoned the second time, Voltaire left France for England and lived there for three years, where he was introduced to the works of John Locke and Isaac Newton, that provided him lasting influence.

Locke and Newton had immense influence on Voltaire who championed reason over superstition and denounced the power of the clergy. He produced the Encyclopaedia which caused more controversy. Although they fell out later, Voltaire and Rousseau were friends.

In 1733, at age 39, he returned to Paris and published his Philosophical Letters. In admiration of the English constitution, in this work, he contrasts the French system of government with England’s democratic system. He had to flee Paris once again, while his book was banned by the authorities.

Later Years of Voltaire and Candide

Voltaire eventually settled in Ferney, a small French town from where he could easily escape across the border to Switzerland if necessary. During this time, among other works, he wrote Candide, his best known satire about an optimist who keeps on believing that all things are for the best despite a realistic life of disaster.

Voltaire's Legacy and the Age of Reason

His constant criticism of the Catholic Church and the French government got him into serious trouble, but Voltaire championed reason and became a strong voice for freedom of expression.

A rational humanist of the Enlightenment Era, his satires depicted abuse of power that brought him into conflict with his own elite society, but he believed in the rights of the individual and freedom of speech. Voltaire best known book Candide satirizes humankind’s blind optimism, in part a reaction to Lisbon’s devastating earthquake of 1755.

He died May 30, 1778, at the age of 83. Voltaire's life works had enormous influence on European society.