VOLTAIRE AS HISTORIAN.   Term Paper ID:22839 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: 18th Cent. French writer's life, career & contribution to historiography & its relationship to literature. Paper Introduction: Although Voltaire's utility as a historian has been both praised and maligned, a study of this literary genius is indispensable for the student of world history. Voltaire was one of the most prolific writers of the eighteenth century. He played an important role in elevating the study of the history of society to the same level as that of the natural sciences. Voltaire is often referred to as the father of historiography. Voltaire's eventful life has been termed his greatest masterpiece. He was not only a man of words, he was a man of action as well. As Richter and Ricardo (1980) put it, "Eventually his life [became] more than just the story of one man's search for truth and happiness: it is the story of an entire age's search for enlightenment" (p. 21). Born Francois Marie Arouet in 1694, Voltaire became one of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Thus Voltaire,along with other eighteenth century historians, were hampered in theirefforts by the "absence of knowledge of anthropology and pre-history"(Brumfitt, 1968, p. Voltaire was unable to reconcilehuman suffering with the existence of original sin, which could only beproved by faith, not by reason (Besterman, 1963, p. However,Voltaire managed to balance his personal views with his strong desire forobjectivity. Voltaire lived in England between 1726 and 1729. .[Voltaire], more than any other individual, brings about the Copernicanrevolution in historiography, displacing the Christian European from hiscomfortable seat at the center of the universe" (Brumfitt, 1968, p. Although critics haveaccused Voltaire of being "anti-historical," his goal was to interpret theinner meaning of historical events to facilitate social reform. (1965). Although his father wished him to pursue alegal career, Voltaire ended his formal studies at the age of 16 andemployed his literary gifts to secure his place in Parisian society: "As amere adolescent he charmed prominent French nobles with his irreverentverses and lively wit, and high society eagerly opened its doors to him"(Richter and Ricardo, 198 , p. He applied principles drawn from thenatural sciences and mixed them with religious skepticism in his preferencefor social, as opposed to political, history. Prior to Voltaire, historianshad described ancient history based on a literal interpretation of theBible. Voltaire drank deep from two springs: from English freethinkers andscientific investigators, and from French sources that were similarlycongenial to his intellect and temperament" (p. NY: TwaynePublishers.----------------------- 3 19). Permit us to tell you that history doesnot consist in a recital of little facts, or in the production ofmanifestos, rejoinders and replies" (Besterman, 1963, p. A heated dispute with a memberof aristocracy resulted in his subsequent exile from France. Voltaire historian. [The other prominent full-dress histories that Voltaireproduced during his lifetime were Siecle de Louis XIV (1751) and Essai surles Moeurs et l'sprit des Nations (1756).] The unmitigated Englishinfluence of some of Voltaire's literary works written after his exile wasconsidered an affront to French customs and institutions. 32). NY: Penguin Books. Known as Voltaire's "Cireyperiod," this timespan (between 1734 to 1749) was remarkably prolific.Voltaire produced five tragedies, four comedies, two operas, two majorpoems, an essay on metaphysics, two works on Sir Isaac Newton, and numerousedits and revisions of work: "What is sufficiently clear is that existenceat Cirey in the depths of the country was for the most part, despite itselegance, austere and rigorous" (Mason, 1981, p. Voltaire's historical works reveal that he was as much interested inchanging society as in describing it. The art of history. Voltaire expanded this worldview by injecting the philosophies ofthe Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment and by emphasizing theimportance of ancient Chinese and Indian civilizations: " . Despiteforeign influence, Voltaire maintained vestiges of French intellectualthought. Voltaire's sojourn with his mistress the Marquise du Chatelet in herchateau at Cirey in Lorraine marks another distinctive period ofdevelopment in his intellectual thought. Although Voltaire was lionizedduring his final visit to Paris shortly before his death, controversysurrounded even the disposal of his body. He wasborn sickly and later afflicted with a variety of maladies includingdysentery, smallpox, fever, scurvy, herpes, deafness, and blindness: "Ifhe managed to be free from pain for two hours out of twelve, he countedhimself fortunate" (Redman, 198 , p. . Voltaire: A biography. Voltaire sought not onlyto recount history, but to explain it. Mostof the great historians of the day were men of letters, whose popularityhad been established in the arts, rather than the sciences. 6). As Richterand Ricardo (198 ) put it, "Eventually his life [became] more than just thestory of one man's search for truth and happiness: it is the story of anentire age's search for enlightenment" (p. The shifting historical perspective ofgender and racial issues are two obvious examples. 75). (198 ). 14). . Supporters were forced to smugglehis remains from the city: "Even later his physical remains were to beeither revered or desecrated, depending upon the politics of changingregimes" (Richter and Ricardo, 198 , p. and Ricardo, I. Voltaire's approach to history differs markedly from that of modernhistorians. . . Evenmodern historians must acknowledge, however, that any view of history iscolored by contemporary thought. 19). 29). (1968). Voltaire was one of the most prolific writers of theeighteenth century. ThusVoltaire deplored the inclusion of "useless data" in his historical works.In critiquing the work of a rival historian, Voltaire writes, "We love thetruth, but the ancient proverb 'All truths are not fit to be told' concernsin particular useless truths . 15). (1963). Under pressurefrom French authorities, Voltaire fled Paris for the French countryside. Although most humanistic historiography is often plagued byuntruthfulness due to its descriptive and anecdotal tendencies, Brumfitt(1968) contends that Voltaire "succeed[ed] in defending and preservingfactual truth" by adhering to an impersonal, analytical style (p. Voltaire continued to spend his later years either in exile or infear of pursuit by the French authorities. Modern historians strive for objectivity, preferring to letthe facts speak for themselves. During this period, history becameintimately associated with literature: "When Voltaire's first book,Charles XII, appeared it was devoured with as much avidity as if it hadbeen a romance rather than a statement of fact" (Black, 1965, p. 7). He played an important role in elevating the study ofthe history of society to the same level as that of the natural sciences.Voltaire is often referred to as the father of historiography. Although Voltaire's utility as a historian has been both praised andmaligned, a study of this literary genius is indispensable for the studentof world history. 14). During his Cirey period, Voltaire's development in thoughtparalleled that of the French intellectual atmosphere, influenced byequally strong traditional and English currents (Redman, 1977, p. (1977). Black, J.B. After settling briefly inBerlin, he chose a convenient location close to the Swiss border, tofacilitate future flight from France. (1981). EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. . One of Voltaire's greatest contributions to the study of history washis inclusion of a non-European perspective. The Marquiseassisted Voltaire in his immense literary efforts at Cirey, until her deathin 1749. The portable Voltaire. Voltaire's penchant for satirical verses aimed at the Frenchgovernment eventually led to his imprisonment in the Bastille for almost ayear. Voltaire's eventful life has been termed his greatest masterpiece.He was not only a man of words, he was a man of action as well. Richter, P. Although some historians claim that Voltaire's abundant literaryoutput was motivated by greed, others contend that Voltaire's works werecharacterized by a desire to correct the wrongs he saw in the world.Voltaire conceived of history as an instructor, for both the monarchy andthe masses: "In Voltaire's opinion, there was no mentor to be comparedwith the unbiased written record; for, in history, men, however exalted,receive their deserts: the evil they do lives after them, the good is notinterred with their bones" (Black, 1965, p. In describing this synthesis of ideas, Redman (1977) writes, " .. Voltaire continued to write and re-assumed his place among theFrench aristocracy after his incarceration. The physical suffering that Voltaire endured during his lifetime mayalso have influenced his political and religious points of view. Some historians contend that it was Voltaire's English sojourn duringhis French exile that greatly influenced his political and religiousthinking. He, as others in his era, believedin the historian's ethical responsibility to the public: . . 44). The eighteenth century public's attitude toward history also enhancedVoltaire's contribution to this field. Voltaire. Mason, H. His sentence failed to stem the tide of his literary output,however. References Besterman, T., Editor. Undeniably, Voltaire's background as a scientist, philosopher, poet,and dramatist flavors his historical writings, particularly hishumanitarian ideals characteristic of the Age of Englightenment. 77-86. Redman, B. Voltaire returned to France from exile in 1729. He wasattracted by the ideas of philosopher John Locke, scientist Sir IsaacNewton, and fellow writers Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons. Born Francois Marie Arouet in 1694, Voltaire became one of France'smost famous writers and, in his latter years, was considered anintellectual ruler of Europe. 82). Brumfitt, J.H. Shortly thereafter,he published one of his most important historical works, History of CharlesXII (1731). New York: Russell &Russell. In understanding Voltaire's contribution to historiography, thestudent of history must examine the eighteenth century historian's context--the Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment. For instance, in writingCharles XII, Voltaire sought to demonstrate to monarchs the futility ofconquest. The Roman Catholic Churchrefused to allow him to be buried on church grounds due to the religiousskepticism expounded in his writings. they[historians] held a trust for humanity, not only to delineate faithfullywhat happened in the past, but also to weigh it in the balances of thepresent, to assess its value, and to discriminate between what isculturally worth remembering and what is not" (Black, 1965, p. 8 ). Select letters of Voltaire. 3). In William Bottiglia(Ed.) Voltaire: A Collection of Critical Essays, pp. 21). In contrast, Age of Reason historiansbelieved that facts could not be fully appreciated unless they were placedwithin their historical and causal contexts (Black, 1965, p. Baltimore: The JohnsHopkins University Press. 82). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.