Voltaire's+Contributions+to+the+Enlightenment

Voltaire's Contributions to the Enlightenment
Unlike Rousseau, who was interested in music, or Diderot, who was interested in art, Voltaire made his biggest contributions through language. He advertised and popularized ideas by his unique style of writing and his ability to write in virtually every genre. He wrote poetry, ode, satire, epistle, and sometimes verse. His works, such as //Zaire//, helped make the idea of religious tolerance acceptable. Voltaire was a writer, essayist, and also a philosopher that was known for his defense of civil liberties. These included freedom of religion and free trade. By spreading these ideas, Voltaire helped to make them seem more acceptable and gain more followers. This helped people break away from the basic ideas that were taught and start to think for themselves. He was outspoken about his support of social reform, despite strict laws against it that had harsh penalties. His works often criticized the Catholic Church and French Institutions, and though this got him in trouble, it started to make people think and form their own opinions about religion and political happenings.

For more information on the Enlightenment, [|click here]

To read Zaire, [|click here]

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