Voltaire was a French writer and philosopher best known for his most famous work, Candide. He was a prominent and influential figure of the Enlightenment movement, especially in literature and philosophy. He was appointed as the official historiographer of France. He was also elected to the French Academy in 1746. His most important influences came from the study of the philosophy of John Locke and the science of Isaac Newton. Voltaire valued freedom of thought and …showed first 75 words of 3025 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3025 total…e believes that people should not allow themselves to be victims. He is of the opinion that people should take more of an initiative in their life. He sneers at naive, accepting types, informing us that people must work and stay active to make their happiness complete. Bibliography Haydn Mason, Voltaire: A Biography, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981. Mortimer J. Adler, Great Books of the New World, Dell Publishing Group, 1956.