Why did Voltaire write the age of Louis XIV?

Why did Voltaire write the age of Louis XIV?

Voltaire described this as the age in which the arts and philosophy achieved their greatest perfection. By praising the excellence of a past age, he implicitly criticised the reign of Louis XV as an age of decline.

What did Voltaire do for the government?

Voltaire is well known for his defense of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and the right to a fair trial. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform despite strict censorship laws in France and harsh penalties for those who broke them.

What caused the French empire to fail under Louis XIV?

During the final decades of Louis XIV’s rule, France was weakened by several lengthy wars that drained its resources and the mass exodus of its Protestant population following the king’s revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

How did Voltaire fight for freedom of speech?

One important idea is that he believed there should be tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech. This means Voltaire fought to make sure people were tolerant, to be tolerant it means you accept everyone for who they are. Voltaire did not want individuals who are different to be picked on.

How was France before Louis XIV?

Louis XVI was the absolute monarch of France in the years leading up to the French Revolution. At the beginning of Louis XVI’s reign, France was under the Ancien Regime which was a system based on absolute monarchy and the feudal traditions of the estates system.

What is Voltaire argument?

In the treatise, Voltaire argues in favour of toleration of religious belief, while reserving the right to argue strenuously against it, and denouncing religious fanaticism of all stripes. “Tolerance has never provoked a civil war; intolerance has covered the Earth in carnage.”

What was Voltaire beliefs?

Voltaire believed above all in the efficacy of reason. He believed social progress could be achieved through reason and that no authority—religious or political or otherwise—should be immune to challenge by reason. He emphasized in his work the importance of tolerance, especially religious tolerance.