Voltaire is a name everyone probably learns in school, in one capacity or another. He was a French Enlightenment-era writer and philosopher, among other things. For his time (eighteenth century), he had some really controversial ideas, such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion. However, it was these views, this unbridled wit, targeting the unchallenged authority, that he was forced to essentially, in today’s terms, seek political asylum.
Actually, it was probably a single incident that kick-started Voltaire’s desire to reform the French judicial system. In early eighteenth century duels were a big thing – honor was probably more important than wealth to nobility those days.
Dr. Caspar Hewett outlines the incident in “The Life of Voltaire”:
In 1725 he had a run in with a powerful young nobleman, the Chevalier de Rohan, who insulted Voltaire and of course consequently found himself at the sharp end of the poet’s tongue. Soon after, Voltaire was called out while dining with the Duke of Sully and was soundly beaten by Rohan’s hirelings. Voltaire found himself isolated with regard to this affair and eventually, some three months later, challenged Rohan to a duel. However Rohan’s family obtained a lettre de cachet and Voltaire was arrested on the morning of the duel and was thrown into the Bastille…
This was actually not the first time Voltaire was imprisoned there – in 1717 he was imprisoned for eleven months for his epic poem, La Henriade, in which he satirized politics and religion. His second term was truly fateful, though – he was imprisoned without trial, without a chance to defend himself and with a real chance of yet another imprisonment, perhaps this time eternal. The other option was exile. After asking the French government to leave France instead of being imprisoned, he was allowed this chance, which he gladly took. Spending three years in England, Voltaire finally returned to Paris – but not before being enthralled with the progressive English society. Find his way back to the high society, Voltaire managed to publish his controversial ideas in various forms – although not always without scandal.
His reformed views were most evident in the “Letters on the English”. Here’s an excerpt on religion from the book, which was published without authorization and eventually banned.
It is of advantage to society in general, that mankind should believe the soul to be immortal; faith commands us to do this; nothing more is required, and the matter is cleared up at once. But it is otherwise with respect to its nature; it is of little importance to religion, which only requires the soul to be virtuous, whatever substance it may be made of. It is a clock which is given us to regulate, but the artist has not told us of what materials the spring of this clock is composed.
During Voltaire’s stay as a political refugee he was exposed not only to new political and religious views, but science as well. In fact, he was a close acquaintance of Isaac Newton, and it was Voltaire who helped spread the falling apple story. In the Letters on the English Voltaire described as Isaac Newton “saw some fruits fall from a tree, he fell into a profound meditation on that gravity”. Voltaire truly was a renaissance man, whose views shaped future of literature, legislation and politics.
