Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was a prominent Enlightenment figure born in Paris in 1694.
A prolific writer, he excelled in plays, poetry, and philosophical works.
Voltaire's writings often satirized religious and political institutions, leading to periods of exile and imprisonment.
He championed reform and challenged prevailing beliefs, particularly targeting Christianity.
Voltaire's most famous work, Candide, critiqued philosophical optimism.
He spent his later years at his estate in Ferney, continuing to write and campaign against injustice.
Voltaire's influence on Enlightenment thought and his fight for civil liberties left a lasting impact on European intellectual and political discourse.
He died in 1778.
