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'''Voltaire''' (pen name of François-Marie Arouet) (1694-1778) was a leading [[French]] [[philosopher]] in the [[Enlightenment]], advocating freedom everywhere and emphasizing his form of reason. He was a [[Deism|deist]] who criticized contemporary [[Christianity]] and often [[religion]] in general.  Voltaire is sometimes called the "Father of the Enlightenment," and remains an inspiration for robust [[freedom of speech]].

'''Voltaire''' (pen name of François-Marie Arouet) (1694-1778) was a leading [[French]] [[philosopher]] in the [[Enlightenment]], advocating freedom everywhere and emphasizing his form of reason. He was a [[Deism|deist]] who criticized contemporary [[Christianity]] and often [[religion]] in general.  Voltaire is sometimes called the "Father of the Enlightenment," and remains an inspiration for robust [[freedom of speech]] despite ironically enough denying free speech to Christians and even going out of his way to silence them.

In ''Candide'' (1759), his chief work, Voltaire criticized a popular philosophical theory of [[Leibniz]] which  described the world as being in its best possible state because it was in [[God]]'s hands. To illustrate this point, he follows the story of Candide as increasingly terrible things happen to him until he loses his optimistic view of the world and his [[Christianity|faith]].

In ''Candide'' (1759), his chief work, Voltaire criticized a popular philosophical theory of [[Leibniz]] which  described the world as being in its best possible state because it was in [[God]]'s hands. To illustrate this point, he follows the story of Candide as increasingly terrible things happen to him until he loses his optimistic view of the world and his [[Christianity|faith]].