Letters on England by Voltaire - 1134 Words

Letters on England is a small collection of letters written by Voltaire (born Franà §ois-Marie Arouet) in 1733 which offers a survey of societal England from the view of a Frenchmen. The original Letters on England, titled Lettres philosophiques, was written in English by Voltaire. This first edition was quite a cumbersome read and so in 1980 Leonard Tancock retranslated the book to English from a previous French edition. Just a few years prior to the release of Letters on England, Voltaire had been imprisoned by France and then exiled to England. This incarceration and banishment was in response to satirical compositions written by Voltaire that the French political powers felt undermined their rule. Despite harsh censorship laws,†¦show more content†¦In addition to insights on religion, Voltaire also detailed his own understanding of the politics and economics in Europe during the time of the Enlightenment. During this time, an absolute monarchy ruled France while the English had what Voltaire saw as a limited monarch with an involved democracy. France was ruled using bribery, force, and corruption while England was governed though compromise and negotiations. Voltaire himself believed in political moderation and defense of civil liberties. He also observed the differences in economics between the two countries. Free trade was discouraged in France, to the point that some noblemen lost their rank if they participated in such commerce. Contrasting this, Voltaire saw that the English encouraged trade and tradesmen were even held in high regards. He believed that this difference in economics was what gave England access to their freedoms. Furthermore, Voltaire had a great respect for England’s stance on the sciences and philosophy. Since the beginning of man, religion has served as both a guide to moral behavior and as an explanation to elucidate the physical world. Up until the 17th and 18th centuries, most explanations of things pe rtaining to the natural world were religiously based or simply established on deductive reasoning alone. When the Enlightenment Era began, new ideas of reasoning came toShow MoreRelatedVoltaire s Views On England And Candide1528 Words   |  7 Pagesconnection between the two is in the final statement of Candide and the final letter in Letters on England, where Voltaire encourages readers to take action. In a span of twenty years, Voltaire did not change his opinion of thinkers and philosophers. He believes both should be appreciated and valued for their work. This is one of the largest similarities between Letters on England and Candide, as both show clearly how Voltaire views the work of thinkers. In Candide, readers are introduced to two philosophersRead MoreVoltaire s Views Toward English And French Religion, Government, And Scientific Advancements1079 Words   |  5 PagesVoltaire’s Views Toward English French Religion, Government, and Scientific Advancements After 1688, England became a constitutional monarchy under the rule of Mary and William. English society evolved from embracing the absolute monarchy to one that introduces new thought processes and beliefs. In Voltaire’s Letters on England, he contributes the development of England to its respectable regards toward religion, governmental systems, and scientific advancements. He contrasts these practicesRead MoreVoltaire and The Enlightenment1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe Enlightenment was revolutionary because of Voltaire, a writer that used his ideas to attack the established Catholic Church, and to propagate the freedom of religion, scientific thoughts, skepticism and experiential philosophy. 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Voltaire’s Letter on England In the course of the Enlightenment, a large number of thinkers have emerged: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, Kant, Locke, etc. Among those people, Voltaire had the most representative;Read MoreEssay on Voltaire and the Beginning of the Enlightment1305 Words   |  6 Pageshe assumed the name de Voltaire. After choosing the new name, Voltaire said, I was very unlucky under my first name. I want to see if this one will succeed any better.2 Upon his release from the Bastille, Voltaire was exiled to England, a country he grew very fond of. At this time, freedom of speech was continuously exemplified throughout the country of England; Voltaire found this toleration very advantageous to the beginnings of his opinion. While in England, Voltaire decided to redirect hisRead MoreVoltaire s Theory Of The Age Of Enlightenment848 Words   |  4 Pagescommonly known as Voltaire was born November 21, 1699, in Paris, France. He was a French philosopher, historian and writer of the Age of Enlightenment. He valued the right to have your own thoughts as well as the ability to change religion. Even though he was a complex person, he was highly intelligent, humorous and his writing style made him one of France s greatest writers and philosophers. He supported social reform, including freedom of religion, civil rights and free trade. Voltaire had a rough relationshipRead MoreVoltaire2028 Words   |  9 PagesVoltaire’s Letters on England is a collection of written documents that Voltaire wrote between 1726 and 1729 on his experiences he had while staying in England. After its publication in French in 1734, many people of French ethnicity saw it as a bashing of the French government, and even a little bit on the Catholic religion. Voltaire does seem to be fairly favorable towards the English in his letters, which is understandable after he was exiled in his homeland of France multiple times. In manyRead MoreFrench Revolution - Montesquieu Voltaire844 Words   |  4 Pagescausing the people to question the current state of their society, and ultimately causing the French Revolution. Montesquieu and Voltaire were two very major Enlightenment figures whose beliefs had a huge impact on the French Revolution. The ever-growing middle class of France had begun to have access to and absorb some writings and ideas of philosophes like Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot. In addition, the recent American Revolution proved to the people of France that Enlightenment idealsRead MoreThe Main Ideas of Enlightenment Philosophers Essay834 Words   |  4 Pagesand had the best interests of society in mind. Although each philosoph had his or her own ideas, they all centered around one main theme: equality and human freedom. One famous influential philosopher was John Locke. Locke was born in England in the mid 17th century and lived through both the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. He strongly believed in equality for all men. In his book Second Treatise on Civil Government, he says that â€Å"creatures of the same species and rank†¦shouldRead MoreThe Enlightenment: An Incredible Change1163 Words   |  5 Pageswriters such as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin known by Moliere, Jonathan Swift, and Francois-Marie Arouet know by Voltaire wrote some incredible stories, poems, plays and articles about the age of reason. In literature, all of them are well known by the tactics and methods they used in their styles of writing in order to persuade or inform the readers. In the Age of Enlightenment, Moliere, Swift, and Voltaire used the concept of â€Å"Satire†, such as verbal, situational, and dramatic irony to depict their message