Philosophical Letters

by Voltaire Voltaire

Overview

The voice of the Age of Reason remarks on English religion and politics during the early 18th century: Quakers, Church of England, Presbyterians, Anti-Trinitarians, Parliament, government, commerce, plus essays on Locke, Descartes, and Newton. Voltaire's observations on English tolerance sounded a revolutionary note among European readers that resonated long after the book's first publication.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940163072408
Publisher:	Walrus Books
Publication date:	07/04/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	922 KB

About the Author

In 1694, Age of Enlightenment leader Francois-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was born in Paris. Jesuit-educated, he began writing clever verses by the age of 12. He launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which Francois adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote Lettres philosophiques (1733), which galvanized French reform. The book also satirized the religious teachings of Rene Descartes and Blaise Pascal, including Pascal's famed "wager" on God. Voltaire wrote: "