Author · France · 1694–1778
Voltaire
Light against fanaticism: satire, clarity, and civic courage.
This writer is known by his nom de plume Voltaire, but his real name is François-Marie Arouet. He was a French historian, writer and philosopher. He was one of the first authors to become renowned and commercially successful internationally.
Voltaire wrote plays, poems, novels, essays, histories, and scientific exposition, was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets.
He was an outspoken advocate of civil liberties, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.
Reason with a spark in 2026
Voltaire fights cruelty with light. Satire and clarity test superstition and power while defending tolerance. The jokes travel because the stakes stay high. Read him to refresh civic courage and to enjoy wit that serves reason.
