Voltaire's+political+ideas



 Voltaire's Political Ideas

Most of Voltaire's political views were based on the ideas of John Locke, Jean Jacques, and Issac Newton. He felt that the bourgeoisie, or the ruling class of a capitalist society, was ineffective. He also thought that aristocracy was couurupt, and that commoners were ignorant. He distrusted democracy, and was very critical about other people's ideas. Because of his very "frank" criticism, he attacked the Duke of Orleans, and found himself in the Bastille for 11 months. Soon after he then insulted a nobleman, and ended up in the Bastille again! He was allowed an early release the second time, However in exchange he was forced to leave France. Voltaire returned to France in 1728 and began to work on one of his more famous literary works known as “ Letters angalaises ou philosophiques”. These letters stated the ideas and works of other famous philosophers of the time, which educated England's commoners about their rights to freedom, equality of taxation, and respect to individuals. The letters spread rapidly, and effectively constituded an attack upon the political institutions of France. Voltaire was against organised religion, fanaticism, intolerance and superstiton. He studied England's Constitutional Monarchy and it's religious tolerance as well as the philosophical rationalism and natural sciences. Voltaire believed in the progress and the virtues of civilization, contrary to Rousseau's belief that civilization corrupts man,and also denounced the injustices of the //ancien regime (a political and aristocratic government established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties). He often used China, Siam and Japan as examples of brilliant non-european civilizations and he harshly criticized slavery. //

Links:  **//absolute astronomy // . Web. 4 Nov 2009.   ** "Who is Voltaire?." //wise geek // . Web. 4 Nov 2009. . **  **"Voltaire an outline bibliography." //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">age of the sage //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. Web. 9 Nov 2009. ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">[|**http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/voltaire.html**] **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #08a6a4; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">
 * "What were some of Voltaire's key political ideas?."**

<span style="color: #08a6a4; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">"political theorists and activists." //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">bibliographies //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. Web. 9 Nov 2009. ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">[|**http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Philosophy/BiosPol.htm#V**] **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #08a6a4; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">

<span style="color: #08a6a4; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">“Voltair: Author and Philosopher." //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">lucidcafe:library //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. Web. 9 Nov 2009. ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">[|**http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95nov/voltaire.html**] **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #08a6a4; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">

<span style="color: #08a6a4; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">"Voltaire." //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">new world encyclopedia //<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. Web. 9 Nov 2009. []. ** <span style="color: #08a6a4; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;"> **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;"> Gay, Peter. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">//<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">Voltaire's Politics: the poet as realist // <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. Yale: Yale University Press, 1988. Print.

Harvey,, Simon. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">//<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">Voltaire: Treatise on Tolerance // <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">. 106. Cambridge, U.K. : Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print **