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Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment
Course Lecture Titles
1. The PatriarchAn Overview
2. The Education of a Philosophe
3. Philosophical Letters, Part I
4. Philosophical Letters, Part II
5. The Years of Cirey
6. From Optimism to Humanism
7. Voltaire and the Philosophical Tale
8. Voltaire at Ferney
9. Voltaire and God
10. Voltaire and History
11. Voltaire and Tradition
12. Apotheosis
1. The PatriarchAn Overview
2. The Education of a Philosophe
3. Philosophical Letters, Part I
4. Philosophical Letters, Part II
5. The Years of Cirey
6. From Optimism to Humanism
7. Voltaire and the Philosophical Tale
8. Voltaire at Ferney
9. Voltaire and God
10. Voltaire and History
11. Voltaire and Tradition
12. Apotheosis
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2001
3 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Alan Charles Kors
26 books19 followersHenry Charles Lea Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught the intellectual history of the 17th and 18th centuries. He has received both the Lindback Foundation Award and the Ira Abrams Memorial Award for distinguished college teaching. Kors graduated A.B. summa cum laude at Princeton University in 1964, and received his M.A. (1965) and Ph.D. (1968) in European history at Harvard University.
Kors has written on the history of skeptical, atheistic, and materialist thought in 17th and 18th-century France, on the Enlightenment in general, on the history of European witchcraft beliefs, and on academic freedom. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment, which was published in four volumes by Oxford University Press in 2002.
Kors co-founded – with civil rights advocate Harvey A. Silverglate – and served from 2000 to 2006 as chairman of the board of directors of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
Kors has written on the history of skeptical, atheistic, and materialist thought in 17th and 18th-century France, on the Enlightenment in general, on the history of European witchcraft beliefs, and on academic freedom. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment, which was published in four volumes by Oxford University Press in 2002.
Kors co-founded – with civil rights advocate Harvey A. Silverglate – and served from 2000 to 2006 as chairman of the board of directors of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 30, 2022
This audio course was absolutely outstanding.
I just listened to it again for the third time in as many years and came away even more convinced that it is so relevant to our time and any time, it is hard to believe.
The relevance of Voltaire's message of the importance of tolerance is more relevant today, than perhaps many previous times. Considering the rise of Islamic narrow-minded fundamentalism, in ISIS, in Boko Haram, in Al Qaeda, in Iran and all the beheadings, mutilation, war, terror, and slavery, the words of Voltaire, the example he set in establishing the enlightenment of Western Europe should be studied by all who value civilization, freedom, and decency.
This short series of lectures (12 x 30 min. each) by the erudite, yet totally accessible scholar Alan Charles Kors, I believe could be vastly more powerful in establishing peace than 10, 100 or 1000 times it's cost in bombs, rockets and other retaliatory military equipment.
As Kors points out here in great detail, highlighting Voltaire, "the pen is actually is mightier than the sword" in so many ways. Very hard to believe perhaps, but check out this wonderful set of lectures to see what you think.
I just listened to it again for the third time in as many years and came away even more convinced that it is so relevant to our time and any time, it is hard to believe.
The relevance of Voltaire's message of the importance of tolerance is more relevant today, than perhaps many previous times. Considering the rise of Islamic narrow-minded fundamentalism, in ISIS, in Boko Haram, in Al Qaeda, in Iran and all the beheadings, mutilation, war, terror, and slavery, the words of Voltaire, the example he set in establishing the enlightenment of Western Europe should be studied by all who value civilization, freedom, and decency.
This short series of lectures (12 x 30 min. each) by the erudite, yet totally accessible scholar Alan Charles Kors, I believe could be vastly more powerful in establishing peace than 10, 100 or 1000 times it's cost in bombs, rockets and other retaliatory military equipment.
As Kors points out here in great detail, highlighting Voltaire, "the pen is actually is mightier than the sword" in so many ways. Very hard to believe perhaps, but check out this wonderful set of lectures to see what you think.
February 18, 2017
This Teaching Company course was outstanding, both in terms of subject matter (Voltaire's life and philosophy) and the way it was presented (overview, not details) by Professor Kors. Voltaire lived a full and rich life (playwright, philosopher, polemicist), filled with personal challenges (censorship, imprisonment, death of his lover) and personal flaws (sensitive to slight). Voltaire was admired not just for what he said, but also for his voluminous commentaries on contemporary and philosophical issues (even late in life, Voltaire wrote 8-10 hours a day).
Voltaire was exceptional in his sense of justice and his battles against intolerance (primarily religious). The best part of this lecture series is on Voltaire’s Treatise on Tolerance. The source of intolerance for Voltaire comes from fanatical religious belief. Kors says (non-critically) that Voltaire was fanatic himself in his intolerance of religious fanaticism. The deeper issue, as Hoffer and others have probed, is how to explain intolerance and fanaticism. It’s tempting to see Voltaire’s relevance today, but a fanatic would be immune to Voltaire-like reasoned arguments on behalf of tolerance
Voltaire was a committed deist. The world is God’s creation. It is the product of intelligent design. Voltaire’s task was to translate the Ideal into the real through reason and to attack harmful traditions and superstitions. Interestingly, late in life Voltaire endorsed the significant repression of Luis IV because, Kors says, the king was able to establish order amid chaos. This was the prerequisite for humanitarian expression, though this repression also stood in direct opposition to the values Voltaire advocated throughout his writings.
As with the Church and its clergy, Voltaire was also critical of the atheists. He saw them as arrogant because God’s design in the world was so clearly evident. Without that belief, Voltaire believed there would be no motivation to make a better world. Some atheists reacted negatively and strongly to Voltaire’s anti-atheism but Diderot, a confirmed atheist yet admirer of Voltaire, reminded them that their right to speak against religion was because Voltaire made free intellectual expression about religion possible.
Voltaire's early optimism about the fate of humans in God's world was shaken by the Lisbon earthquake (1755). Here, Voltaire broke ranks with Leibniz's worldview (e.g., as Pope wrote, "whatever is, is right") and concluded that evil and suffering can be and must be fought. Voltaire advocated that humans must "tend to their own garden." While he remained a confirmed deist, the rest of his life was dedicated to humanistic concerns.
Voltaire is not a dry philosopher lost in the bowels of thought. His life and writing is filled with passion. Durant suggests that Voltaire provided perhaps the greatest intellectual energy in history. The controversy surrounding the last hours on his death bed (did he or did he not make peace with the priests?) falls away in history, leaving only his body and a simple gravestone that says, "Here lies Voltaire."
I've listened to this series of lectures twice (2009, 2017) and to several Teaching Company lectures from Professor Kors. He is excellent.
Voltaire was exceptional in his sense of justice and his battles against intolerance (primarily religious). The best part of this lecture series is on Voltaire’s Treatise on Tolerance. The source of intolerance for Voltaire comes from fanatical religious belief. Kors says (non-critically) that Voltaire was fanatic himself in his intolerance of religious fanaticism. The deeper issue, as Hoffer and others have probed, is how to explain intolerance and fanaticism. It’s tempting to see Voltaire’s relevance today, but a fanatic would be immune to Voltaire-like reasoned arguments on behalf of tolerance
Voltaire was a committed deist. The world is God’s creation. It is the product of intelligent design. Voltaire’s task was to translate the Ideal into the real through reason and to attack harmful traditions and superstitions. Interestingly, late in life Voltaire endorsed the significant repression of Luis IV because, Kors says, the king was able to establish order amid chaos. This was the prerequisite for humanitarian expression, though this repression also stood in direct opposition to the values Voltaire advocated throughout his writings.
As with the Church and its clergy, Voltaire was also critical of the atheists. He saw them as arrogant because God’s design in the world was so clearly evident. Without that belief, Voltaire believed there would be no motivation to make a better world. Some atheists reacted negatively and strongly to Voltaire’s anti-atheism but Diderot, a confirmed atheist yet admirer of Voltaire, reminded them that their right to speak against religion was because Voltaire made free intellectual expression about religion possible.
Voltaire's early optimism about the fate of humans in God's world was shaken by the Lisbon earthquake (1755). Here, Voltaire broke ranks with Leibniz's worldview (e.g., as Pope wrote, "whatever is, is right") and concluded that evil and suffering can be and must be fought. Voltaire advocated that humans must "tend to their own garden." While he remained a confirmed deist, the rest of his life was dedicated to humanistic concerns.
Voltaire is not a dry philosopher lost in the bowels of thought. His life and writing is filled with passion. Durant suggests that Voltaire provided perhaps the greatest intellectual energy in history. The controversy surrounding the last hours on his death bed (did he or did he not make peace with the priests?) falls away in history, leaving only his body and a simple gravestone that says, "Here lies Voltaire."
I've listened to this series of lectures twice (2009, 2017) and to several Teaching Company lectures from Professor Kors. He is excellent.
May 20, 2011
This is a good summary review of the "Patriarch of the Enlightenment." I listened to these lectures in preparation for a book group that will be meeting to discuss the book, Candide.
Voltaire was a prolific writer. He wrote poetry, plays, novels, histories, philosophy, and letters. During his long life of 84 years he wrote 2,000 books or pamphlets. Scholars have found 20,000 letters written by him (an equal number of additional letters may have been lost). At around fifteen million words, the total of his collected works exceed the 800,000 words in the Bible by a factor of 19. His contemporaries thought he would be remembered by history mostly for his poetry and plays. Instead history has remembered him as a champion of the Enlightenment and advocate of religious toleration. His satirical and philosophic tale, Candide, remains a classic of international fame. Link to my review of Candide.
This is my favorite quotation by Voltaire (translated into English):
"I always made one prayer to God, a very short one. Here it is: 'O Lord, make our enemies quite ridiculous!' God granted it."
The above is a classic example of his ironic humor. He demeans his enemies without directly calling them names. And he claims the power of prayer while being well known as a Deist who doesn't believe in special providence.
One fascinating bit of trivia I learned is that Voltaire never said the following quotation (even though popular attribution probably makes it his most famous quotation):
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Dr. Kors says that if Voltaire said the above quotation, he was not the sort of person to mean the "defend to the death" part. Voltaire was a pacifist and too much of a rationalist to be a martyr for a cause. Though these words are regularly attributed to Voltaire, they were first used by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, writing under the pseudonym of Stephen G Tallentyre in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), as a summation of Voltaire's beliefs on freedom of thought and expression.
Voltaire was a prolific writer. He wrote poetry, plays, novels, histories, philosophy, and letters. During his long life of 84 years he wrote 2,000 books or pamphlets. Scholars have found 20,000 letters written by him (an equal number of additional letters may have been lost). At around fifteen million words, the total of his collected works exceed the 800,000 words in the Bible by a factor of 19. His contemporaries thought he would be remembered by history mostly for his poetry and plays. Instead history has remembered him as a champion of the Enlightenment and advocate of religious toleration. His satirical and philosophic tale, Candide, remains a classic of international fame. Link to my review of Candide.
This is my favorite quotation by Voltaire (translated into English):
"I always made one prayer to God, a very short one. Here it is: 'O Lord, make our enemies quite ridiculous!' God granted it."
The above is a classic example of his ironic humor. He demeans his enemies without directly calling them names. And he claims the power of prayer while being well known as a Deist who doesn't believe in special providence.
One fascinating bit of trivia I learned is that Voltaire never said the following quotation (even though popular attribution probably makes it his most famous quotation):
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Dr. Kors says that if Voltaire said the above quotation, he was not the sort of person to mean the "defend to the death" part. Voltaire was a pacifist and too much of a rationalist to be a martyr for a cause. Though these words are regularly attributed to Voltaire, they were first used by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, writing under the pseudonym of Stephen G Tallentyre in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), as a summation of Voltaire's beliefs on freedom of thought and expression.
December 4, 2018
Essential.
October 11, 2024
I have never really taken the time to learn about Voltaire and this was a great introduction though it turned into hagiography at times. I was blown away by:
1. His emphasis on toleration and the importance of seeing the limitations of our own beliefs
2. His praise of the English way of life and lack of criticism of the puritans view of the world
3. How well received and praised he was during his lifetime
4. How the radical French Revolution rejected his views of toleration and his objections to atheism
1. His emphasis on toleration and the importance of seeing the limitations of our own beliefs
2. His praise of the English way of life and lack of criticism of the puritans view of the world
3. How well received and praised he was during his lifetime
4. How the radical French Revolution rejected his views of toleration and his objections to atheism
February 10, 2023
A find. I have had this and another of the series on my list for a long time and I am delighted to have been minded to give it a try. It was a little like listening to Woody Allen and wonderful to hear a great teacher so enthusiastic about his subject. I have read Candide and was generally aware of the importance of Voltaire but not the scale of his greatness or the details of his life. He used his satirical wit to attack the French Church and nobility, championing religious tolerance. But he was no atheist: he was convinced that the complexities of the natural world could only have been designed by a supreme being. He revered Newton and proclaimed that he had overtaken Descartes. The story of the Mongol experience of cowpox and inoculation as a protection against smallpox was a surprise, the religious resistance to it, less so.
April 10, 2025
Found this scrolling through the audiobook section on Libby. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but pretty interesting listen, the speaker does a great job keeping things interesting and ends the chapters before they start droning on and on. I have another one on music to listen to soon, so stay tuned.
February 12, 2017
"The pen is mightier than the sword."
...or it certainly would be in the case of Francois Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire. Most people hear one or two phrases about him in high school or some general education class in college but never truly explore the depth of his life in regards to the 17th century Enlightenment. He was an incredibly celebrated figure who critiqued issues of religious tolerance, scientific thought over superstition, and the proper role of the state. A prolific writer whose works propagated the advance of thought in the fields of science, epistemology and freethinking.
Alan Charles Kors didn't disappoint me with his other GC on Enlightenment thinkers and he definitely didn't disappoint here. Listening to this course provides the user with an overview on the details of Voltaire's life. The details surrounding his beginnings, his time in Cirey and Ferney, his eventual return to Paris, and his passions for the many causes he championed and spread through his lifetime. After taking this course, I can see why some of today's modern thinkers hold him in high esteem. Highly recommended course for learning more about what I consider to be a critical time in history.
...or it certainly would be in the case of Francois Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire. Most people hear one or two phrases about him in high school or some general education class in college but never truly explore the depth of his life in regards to the 17th century Enlightenment. He was an incredibly celebrated figure who critiqued issues of religious tolerance, scientific thought over superstition, and the proper role of the state. A prolific writer whose works propagated the advance of thought in the fields of science, epistemology and freethinking.
Alan Charles Kors didn't disappoint me with his other GC on Enlightenment thinkers and he definitely didn't disappoint here. Listening to this course provides the user with an overview on the details of Voltaire's life. The details surrounding his beginnings, his time in Cirey and Ferney, his eventual return to Paris, and his passions for the many causes he championed and spread through his lifetime. After taking this course, I can see why some of today's modern thinkers hold him in high esteem. Highly recommended course for learning more about what I consider to be a critical time in history.
October 15, 2023
In Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment, Prof. Alan Charles Kors talks about Voltaire in such a knowledgeable and familiar way that he may as well be speaking about a family member. Whilst his scholarly New York accent may initially come across as somewhat annoying (to a Brit), this soon dies down.
The lecture series is a concise yet seemingly complete and charming commentary on how Voltaire came to be one of the most influential writers of all time. Voltaire writes on the role luck plays in history; no doubt can the modern day student retrospectively see the role it plays here in Voltaire's life. There's a lot the present day thinker can learn from Voltaire - perhaps most poignant is how the pen can be mightier than the sword. Other subjects/themes encountered include optimism, tolerance, religion, nationalism, empiricism, deism, irenism and pacifism.
Despite being a 'green' Great Courses title which usually relates to philosophy, this one is perhaps more historical. In fact, it's part biography, part 17-18th century European history and only part philosophy. Even then, the word philosophy may refer to sciences such as physics i.e. Newtonian philosophy. Although philosophy is occasionally discussed in a more traditional sense when outlining Voltaire's personal ideas.
To fill in the gaps, one can read Voltaire's works (the most influential being mentioned within) or study the time period or the people that directly relate to the great man such as Newton, Descartes, Émilie du Châtelet, Rousseau, Louis XIV etc.
The lecture series is a concise yet seemingly complete and charming commentary on how Voltaire came to be one of the most influential writers of all time. Voltaire writes on the role luck plays in history; no doubt can the modern day student retrospectively see the role it plays here in Voltaire's life. There's a lot the present day thinker can learn from Voltaire - perhaps most poignant is how the pen can be mightier than the sword. Other subjects/themes encountered include optimism, tolerance, religion, nationalism, empiricism, deism, irenism and pacifism.
Despite being a 'green' Great Courses title which usually relates to philosophy, this one is perhaps more historical. In fact, it's part biography, part 17-18th century European history and only part philosophy. Even then, the word philosophy may refer to sciences such as physics i.e. Newtonian philosophy. Although philosophy is occasionally discussed in a more traditional sense when outlining Voltaire's personal ideas.
To fill in the gaps, one can read Voltaire's works (the most influential being mentioned within) or study the time period or the people that directly relate to the great man such as Newton, Descartes, Émilie du Châtelet, Rousseau, Louis XIV etc.
November 14, 2014
Dr Kors presents a thoroughly entertaining set of lectures (12 - 30 minutes each) about a man who, most likely, is responsible for establishing civilization in the western world in the 18th century...perhaps crystallizing the ideas articulated in the US constitution. Voltaire showed the courage to defy the Catholic dogma in France, risking his life for toleration and promoting a broad acceptance of rapidly expanding intellectual (scientific and philosophical) thought...commonly referred to as the 'Enlightenment'.
If the reader is considering purchasing these lectures beware, since it may convince you to read many, if not all of his stuff (a very technical term). You will find them entertaining and many down-right funny...leaving you hungry for more. Can you imagine a man of his influence commenting on the state of toleration in the world of Islam today?
Remarkable man and lectures series (often on sale).
If the reader is considering purchasing these lectures beware, since it may convince you to read many, if not all of his stuff (a very technical term). You will find them entertaining and many down-right funny...leaving you hungry for more. Can you imagine a man of his influence commenting on the state of toleration in the world of Islam today?
Remarkable man and lectures series (often on sale).
Read
August 3, 2011Alan Charles Kors is a brilliant professor of the history of ideas, and Voltaire is his pet interest. These twelve lectures will lead you to a fuller appreciation of the man who, more than any other historical figure, helped soften the religious intolerance and bigotry that characterized post-Counter Reformation Europe. Professor Kors is so deeply immersed in the history of the French Enlightenment and its proper context that his articulation of all important issues could not be clearer, could not be more forcefully compared with the range of competing ideas and movements.
In short, this is a riveting set of lectures and worth six hours of your time.
In short, this is a riveting set of lectures and worth six hours of your time.
May 2, 2023
Informative & relevant
Voltaire is name I've heard a lot over my life, usually in such a way that made him seem unrelated to any modern concern. I figured that I'd get around to looking him up later when I had spare time after I'd covered the important things. LOL. I finally go around to it and...
So... it turns out this guy was a big deal. Just how big a deal I had no idea.
If you enjoy:
Practicing the religion of your choice.
Thinking for your self
Not being tortured for a confession
Not living under the rule of an autocratic despot
you can thank Voltaire.
I get the feeling (although this doesn't say so) that Voltaire's writings strongly influenced the founding fathers.
...oh, he also wrote some plays.
Voltaire is name I've heard a lot over my life, usually in such a way that made him seem unrelated to any modern concern. I figured that I'd get around to looking him up later when I had spare time after I'd covered the important things. LOL. I finally go around to it and...
So... it turns out this guy was a big deal. Just how big a deal I had no idea.
If you enjoy:
Practicing the religion of your choice.
Thinking for your self
Not being tortured for a confession
Not living under the rule of an autocratic despot
you can thank Voltaire.
I get the feeling (although this doesn't say so) that Voltaire's writings strongly influenced the founding fathers.
...oh, he also wrote some plays.
March 17, 2018
I loved this course; it's a great biographical lecture series about Voltaire, helping you get some sense of his life and interests. I listened to this after the "Birth of the Modern Mind" course, also by Kors, and I think this is the better of the two. It's shorter, more focused, and Kors hews closer to the facts, getting less into his oratorical rhythm (though he still does occasionally and it's enjoyable in short bursts).
Recommended as a good intro to the middle of the Enlightenment and to Voltaire in general.
Recommended as a good intro to the middle of the Enlightenment and to Voltaire in general.
January 18, 2021
This was a fantastic audiobook that was extremely effective in both giving an overview of Voltaire's significance in the Enlightenment (and subsequently, the modern world), as well as his life and his evolution of ideas. Professor Alan Charles Kors succinctly summarized his life without using too much jargon, while intermittently diving deep into some of Voltaire's work and putting them into context.
August 30, 2021
A nice overview of Voltaire that goes into much more than you usually get in your normal intro to him in high school or college where I met him with Candide. I knew of his letter writing with some leaders, but this went into so much more of his philosophies, and his works that it's a great jumping off point for me to find more of his works.
February 2, 2023
This was an informative and well put together course. It did a good job of putting you in the times, the mind, the writings, and the life of Voltaire. I'm looking forward to doing a deep dive into Voltaire's life a little later in the year, so this was really good prep for that pending venture. I definitely recommend this to anybody interested in this fascinating historical figure.
May 17, 2019
He left us with over 15 million words. To put that in perspective, the Holy Bible is around 800,000 words. Yet, if you search for his works you're likely to only find 5,000 versions of Candide. I must go to a real library and delve into his letters. This was my first Great Course. Excellent!
October 14, 2024
The lecture series does a wonderful job at introducing us to majesty of Voltaire, walking us through the key stages of his life, pointing out the revelations and world changing moments as they happened.
October 30, 2017
We should all know Voltaire.
August 5, 2022
Gotta love me some Voltaire! Sure wish we could Star Trek teleport his spirit and genius into the 21st Century (although he would surely get cancelled.)
September 16, 2025
wow, amazing analysis and I'll be listening again.... AND printing out the PDFs
August 19, 2022
How to confuse and confound…. Or perhaps an open mind such as Socrates always questioning. Maybe maybe not, or as Spinoza believed it’s just ‘natures way’ , God aka “The Divine Creator of the ALL” watches all even the ant, so what is to be shall be, so don’t worry about crushing them under your feet! It’s meant to be!
“…Should I jump in to save him? Perplexing!”
“…Should I jump in to save him? Perplexing!”
August 4, 2014
Prof Kors’ style can take some getting used to. He was a lecturer in another Great Courses series so I was already comfortable with his unusual cadence. Give him time. After awhile, you may find him easier to listen to than many of the lecturers out there. He certainly knows his stuff!
I also loved the series of lectures. As a student of American History and especially the American Revolution, I had been meaning to immerse myself more in the Enlightenment. This series helped me better understand Voltaire’s role in history, both how he might have been influenced by the Enlightenment thinkers who came before him and how he influenced those who came after. You can also see the seeds of the French Revolution and what it was supposed to be.
So many people quote Voltaire – often without knowing much about him, I suspect. It’s good to have at least a passing familiarity with his life and his philosophy.
I also loved the series of lectures. As a student of American History and especially the American Revolution, I had been meaning to immerse myself more in the Enlightenment. This series helped me better understand Voltaire’s role in history, both how he might have been influenced by the Enlightenment thinkers who came before him and how he influenced those who came after. You can also see the seeds of the French Revolution and what it was supposed to be.
So many people quote Voltaire – often without knowing much about him, I suspect. It’s good to have at least a passing familiarity with his life and his philosophy.
January 29, 2014
I am a big fan of the Teaching Company lectures and this lecture by Professor Kors is one of the best I have listened to. I only had a cursory knowledge of Voltaire before this lecture but now believe him to be one of the mankind’s greatest thinkers. He also lived a fascinating life.
I particularly like the coverage of Voltaire’s emphasis on man’s hubris and the limits of rationality. Voltaire fought the prevailing “philosophical optimism” that was so popular during his time —the notion that evil does not exist and what we perceive as evil is part of God’s plan that we, as humans, cannot understand. Voltaire declares that evil is real and is often the result of man’s almost universal greed and corruptibility.
I guess the best praise of this lecture is that I am now hungry to read more by Voltaire himself.
I particularly like the coverage of Voltaire’s emphasis on man’s hubris and the limits of rationality. Voltaire fought the prevailing “philosophical optimism” that was so popular during his time —the notion that evil does not exist and what we perceive as evil is part of God’s plan that we, as humans, cannot understand. Voltaire declares that evil is real and is often the result of man’s almost universal greed and corruptibility.
I guess the best praise of this lecture is that I am now hungry to read more by Voltaire himself.
February 10, 2017
Brief and broad overview of one of my favorite authors. This series served as a great introduction to Voltaire's ideas and influence.
December 22, 2016
This is a lecture series on the life and contributions of Voltaire, one of the greatest and most courageous mind of the Enlightenment. Great lecturer, great topic. There is much to learn from Voltaire. Here is one of the descriptive offerings of his creative intellect:
After the tragic Lisbon earthquake that kills many, he stated that to God he will give respect, but his love must go to human beings, who suffer. He tells the story of a Caliph who wanted to give God a gift and asked, “What can one give to God? What does God not have?” And he concludes that it is defects, and sorrow, and ignorance, and woe. That is what human beings have, and God doesn’t. Voltaire found that the Caliph omitted one other thing: hope—man’s sole bliss that no omnipotent god can have.
After the tragic Lisbon earthquake that kills many, he stated that to God he will give respect, but his love must go to human beings, who suffer. He tells the story of a Caliph who wanted to give God a gift and asked, “What can one give to God? What does God not have?” And he concludes that it is defects, and sorrow, and ignorance, and woe. That is what human beings have, and God doesn’t. Voltaire found that the Caliph omitted one other thing: hope—man’s sole bliss that no omnipotent god can have.
July 6, 2023
OK so this is like a lecture. The reason I would listen to this is because I wanted to know more about Voltaire but like the typical college student I find this boring I wanted to learn above all there because I read like this book and then like how unhinged the character is because she follows Voltaire’s principle. But this is just not for me I'm sorry.
May 22, 2016
Interesting recording of 12 lectures regarding the writings and person. Each lecture is about 30 minutes long, making it a quick read. It's probably a good segue into his books and writing.
September 24, 2018
A great introduction, given in a very educated, wise, concise, and ridiculously monotone way.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews