Voltaire was zealous in his defense of individual rights
and personal liberties. Government's construction would have to be with these
entitlements in mind. His entire literary and professional life was lived with the idea
of being able to challenge social conventions and possessing the freedom to speak out
against orders of conformity that sought to silence
him:
The surviving pictures of Voltaire,
most in old age, represent him as thin, sharp-featured, and sardonic. He is the very
embodiment of one aspect of the neoclassical period: skeptical, irreverent, and valuing
personal freedom above all other
things.
In
speaking out against institutions that were prone to silence individuals, such as
oppressive governments or misuse of the Church, Voltaire was a firm advocate of secular
rule that would treat individuals as ends of themselves, as opposed to means to
ends:
As a rationalist and Deist, he
rejected the traditional Christian view of God and belief in the immortality of the
soul. He adhered to a natural religion, believing in an impersonal, remote deity whose
attributes were beyond human understanding but who inspired a great sense of awe.
Voltaire shared the belief of fellow Deists who considered the essence of religion to be
morality, a commitment to justice and humanity. He strongly believed that universal
ethical principles were inherent in natural law and that the merit of human laws was
determined by the extent to which they reflected such just and humane
standards.
The
freedom of thought in all of its forms and the ability to ensure that social and
political organizations do not silence voices, particularly those of dissent, would be
how Voltaire envisioned political authority should be
constructed.
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