The Age of Enlightenment: Voltaire
One of Voltaire's most famous statements about government is his criticism of absolute monarchy: 'It is said that God is always on the side of the big battalions. It is often said that the King is the law, but it would be better to say that the law is the King.' This statement reflects his belief that the power of the monarch should be limited by the law and that the law should apply equally to everyone.
Voltaire also believed in the importance of education for the improvement of society. He wrote that 'the more we cultivate the arts, the more we refine our pleasures, the more sensitive we become to the sufferings of others.' In his view, education was the key to creating a more enlightened and compassionate society.
In addition to his views on government and society, Voltaire was an advocate for religious tolerance and freedom of speech. He believed that people should be able to express their opinions and beliefs without fear of persecution or censorship. Voltaire's ideas about government and society had a profound impact on the French Revolution and the development of modern democracy.
All courses were automatically generated using OpenAI's GPT-3. Your feedback helps us improve as we cannot manually review every course. Thank you!