Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet, more commonly known as Voltaire, was one of the most important Enlightenment philosophers and writers. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets during his lifetime. His writing covered almost every literary form from plays to poems to essays to histories. Known for his wit and sharp criticism of religion and politics, particularly Roman Catholicism and slavery, he advocated for civil liberties such as freedom of speech and separation between church and state. Voltaire's magnum opus is Candide-a novella that satirizes many themes prevalent in eighteenth century Europe such as intolerance, religious dogma, bureaucracy etc. Through this work--and all of his works--Voltaire left a lasting legacy on our society today setting an example for those wishing to speak out against standard norms which threaten individual freedoms.