History Creator / Voltaire

* AnAesop: In every single of his philosophical tales.

* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: Enlightenment, despite the cynicism.

He is eminently quotable ''and'' [[BeamMeUpScotty mis-quotable]]. His [[{{Archenemy}} favourite target]] was Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau.[[note]]Ironically, both died the same year and rest in front of each other in the same crypt of the Pantheon in Paris; both are considered the spiritual fathers of the French Revolution, despite their personal enmity and clashing views.[[/note]]

Probably shouldn't be confused with [[Music/{{Voltaire}} the musician]] or the pinball game ''Pinball/CirqusVoltaire''. He [[spoiler:(or, rather, [[SamusIsAGirl she]])]] ''does'', however, appear in the latter game as the founder of the titular [[XtremeKoolLetterz "Cirqus"]], as well as [[spoiler:its TrueFinalBoss]].

Probably shouldn't be confused with [[Music/{{Voltaire}} the musician]] or the pinball game ''Pinball/CirqusVoltaire''.

He is best known for his witty defense of civil liberties, freedom of religion, and free trade (he had staunch liberal views on economic issues), though he could be quite {{hypocrit|e}}ical about them from time to time. His views earned him one year in the Bastille at the time of the Régence, where he gained his penname. [[WarForFunAndProfit He would later make a huge fortune in military furniture]] and gain great influence in the UsefulNotes/{{Fr|ance}}ench and UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}}n royal courts under kings UsefulNotes/LouisXV and UsefulNotes/FrederickTheGreat. He would go on to inspire multiple philosophers and satirical authors, especially amongst those who supported his views. His writings also inspired both the [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution French]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution American]] revolutions. He was also a historian and a scientist who published multiple essays. Very prolific, as he published more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. [[SignificantAnagram The name Voltaire comes from ''Arouet le jeune'' ("Arouet the Young"), converted to Latin script where U=V and J=I; AROVET L I -> VOLTAIRE]].

Real name François Marie Arouet. French dude, 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778. [[DeadpanSnarker Satirical]] [[ThePhilosopher philosopher]]. He is best known for his witty defense of civil liberties, freedom of religion, and free trade (he had staunch liberal views on economic issues). His views earned him one year in the Bastille at the time of the Régence, where he gained his penname. [[WarForFunAndProfit He would later make a huge fortune in military furniture]] and gain great influence in the French and Prussian royal courts under kings Louis XV and Frederick II the Great. He would go on to inspire multiple philosophers and satirical authors, especially amongst those who supported his views. His writings also inspired both the [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution French]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution American]] revolutions. He was also a historian and a scientist who published multiple essays. Prolific, as he published more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. [[SignificantAnagram The name Voltaire comes from ''Arouet le jeune'' ("Arouet the Young"), converted to Latin script where U=V and J=I; AROVET L I -> VOLTAIRE]]. He is eminently quotable, and [[BeamMeUpScotty mis-quotable]]. His [[{{Archenemy}} favourite target]] was Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau.[[note]]Ironically, both died the same year and rest in front of each other in the same crypt of the Pantheon in Paris; both are considered the spiritual fathers of the French Revolution, despite their personal enmity and clashing views.[[/note]]

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." What Voltaire (a Deist) meant by this is that God is a useful supposition for the proper functioning of society regardless of whether he actually exists. He did not mean to imply that God is just a comforting lie humans tell themselves to give their lives meaning, despite [[QuoteMining the quote often being used in this way]] by atheists on the Internet.

* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Used to provide the page quote.

Real name François Marie Arouet. French dude, 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778. [[DeadpanSnarker Satirical]] [[ThePhilosopher philosopher]]. He is best known for his witty defense of civil liberties, freedom of religion, and free trade (he had staunch liberal views on economic issues). His views earned him one year in the Bastille at the time of the Régence, where he gained his penname. [[WarForFunAndProfit He would later make a huge fortune in military furniture]] and gain great influence in the French and Prussian royal courts under kings Louis XV and Frederick II the Great. He would go on to inspire multiple philosophers and satirical authors, especially amongst those who supported his views. His writings also inspired both the [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution French]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution American]] revolutions. He was also a historian and a scientist who published multiple essays. Prolific, as he published more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. [[FunWithAcronyms The name Voltaire comes from ''Arouet le jeune'' ("Arouet the Young"), converted to Latin script where U=V and J=I; AROVET L I -> VOLTAIRE]]. He is eminently quotable, and [[BeamMeUpScotty mis-quotable]]. His [[{{Archenemy}} favourite target]] was Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau.[[note]]Ironically, both died the same year and rest in front of each other in the same crypt of the Pantheon in Paris; both are considered the spiritual fathers of the French Revolution, despite their personal enmity and clashing views.[[/note]]

* ''Micromégas'', 1752

Real name François Marie Arouet. French dude, 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778. [[DeadpanSnarker Satirical]] [[ThePhilosopher philosopher]]. He is best known for his witty defense of civil liberties, freedom of religion, and free trade (he had staunch liberal views on economic issues). His views earned him one year in the Bastille at the time of the Régence, where he gained his penname. [[WarForFunAndProfit He would later make a huge fortune in military furniture]] and gain great influence in the French and Prussian royal courts under kings Louis XV and Frederick II the Great. He would go on to inspire multiple philosophers and satirical authors, especially amongst those who supported his views. His writings also inspired both the [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution French]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution American]] revolutions. He was also a historian and a scientist who published multiple essays. Prolific, as he published more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. [[FunWithAcronyms The name Voltaire comes from ''Arouet le jeune'' ("Arouet the Young"), converted to Latin script where U=V and J=I; AROVET L I -> VOLTAIRE]]. He is [[AuthorsOfQuote eminently quotable]], and [[BeamMeUpScotty mis-quotable]]. His [[{{Archenemy}} favourite target]] was Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau.[[note]]Ironically, both died the same year and rest in front of each other in the same crypt of the Pantheon in Paris; both are considered the spiritual fathers of the French Revolution, despite their personal enmity and clashing views.[[/note]]

* BrokenBase: In some ciricles of the english speaking world, he is still regarded as a radical leftist and even a proto-Marxist. In France however, he is one of the most popular authors alongside Jean-Jaques Rosseaou. The irony is that Voltaire was no Francophile, far from it. Yet many of the more conservative people in the English speaking world continue to blame him (as well as Jean-Jaques Rosseaou) for the French Revolution and even inspiring Karl Marx.
** The real life Voltaire was no hater of the English speaking world, despite it being more conservative in some ways. He was not a Francophile at all and he oppossed state atheism. He was also firmly pro-free trade and pro-economic liberalization. He would probably have more in common with most modern day "conservatives" then most hard core left-wingers in today's political spectrum.

* DoubleStandard:
** His beliefs on Judaism are very much this. He believed that Christians should be tolerant of other peoples and religions, but Voltaire himself '''hated''' Jews and [[ValuesDissonance once wrote that all of them should be punished]]. Ouch.
** He explicitly vowed to destroy Christianity (both Catholicism and Protestantism) in some of his correspondences with Jean le Rond D'Alembert, one of the authors of ''L'Encyclopédie'', because he thought they were continuations of Judaism. On the other hand, he was a firm deist who also opposed atheism, hence the page quote.
** Likewise, while many people invoke Voltaire as a free-speech icon in the 21st century, Voltaire himself could be censorious, such as publishing libel tracts against authors he disagreed with and persecuting Creator/JeanJacquesRousseau by making many false accusations to discredit him.

* FamousLastWords: When the priest who gave him his last rites tried to make him renounce Satan (as his hatred for Christianity was well known). Voltaire's reply?
-->''"Allons, mon bon monsieur, ce n'est point le moment de nous faire des ennemis."'' ("Come, my good sir, now is not the time to make enemies.")

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In ''Candide'', "the sage Doctor Pangloss giv[es] a lecture in experimental philosophy to her mother's chambermaid". "[S]he perfectly well understood the force of the doctor's reasoning upon causes and effects".

->''"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."''

->''"In a well-organized country, the smaller number makes the greater number work for it, feed it and submit to its government."''

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