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Voltaire biography

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  • NAME: Voltaire
  • OCCUPATION: Writer
  • BIRTH DATE: November 21, 1694
  • DEATH DATE: May 30, 1778
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Paris, France
  • PLACE OF DEATH: Paris, France
  • Originally: François-Marie Arouet
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Voltaire was a 18th-century writer known for his satirical wit in such works as Candide and Zadig.

Synopsis

After being exiled from France due to his writing, Voltaire came back only to again flee Paris after another uproar. Beyond his works on philosophical and moral issues, he wrote contes (“tales”), including Zadig, Micromégas and his best-known work, Candide (1759), a satire on philosophical optimism. He also took an interest in any cases of injustice, especially resulting from religious prejudice.

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(born Nov. 21, 1694, Paris, France—died May 30, 1778, Paris) French writer. Voltaire studied law but abandoned it to become a writer. He became acclaimed for his tragedies and continued to write for the theatre all his life. He was twice imprisoned in the Bastille for his remarks and in 1726 was exiled to England, where his philosophical interests deepened; he returned to France in 1728 or 1729. His epic poem La Henriade (1728) was well received, but his lampoons of the Regency and his liberal religious opinions caused offense. Lettres philosophiques (1734), in which he spoke out against established religious and political systems, created an uproar. He fled Paris and settled at Cirey in Champagne with Mme du Chtelet, who became his patroness and mistress, and there he turned to scientific research and the systematic study of religions and culture. After her death he spent periods in Berlin and Geneva; in 1754 he settled in Switzerland. In addition to his many works on philosophical and moral problems, he wrote contes (“tales”) including Zadig (1747), Micromégas (1752), and his best-known work, Candide (1759), a satire on philosophical optimism. He kept up an immense correspondence and took an interest in any cases of injustice, especially those resulting from religious prejudice. Voltaire is remembered as a crusader against tyranny and bigotry and is noted for his wit, satire, and critical capacity.

Copyright © 1994-2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com

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