Voltaire's Thought

Voltaire’s thought appears across philosophical tales, letters, historical writing, and polemical essays. The Treatise on Tolerance responds to persecution and injustice, while the Philosophical Dictionary examines a wide range of religious, historical, and philosophical questions in short entries. Tales such as Candide give abstract explanations a test in the fortunes of individual characters. Voltaire’s belief in a creator coexisted with sharp criticism of religious institutions and coercion. His writings frequently turn from claims of certainty towards the practical consequences of belief, law, and the exercise of authority.