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Letters on England
work by Voltaire
Also known as: “Lettres philosophiques”, “Lettres sur les Anglais”
Learn about this topic in these articles:
discussed in biography
- In Voltaire: Return to France
…work of incisive brevity: the Lettres philosophiques (1734). These fictitious letters are primarily a demonstration of the benign effects of religious toleration. They contrast the wise Empiricist psychology of Locke with the conjectural lucubrations of René Descartes. A philosopher worthy of the name, such as Newton, disdains empty, a priori
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place in French literature
- In French literature: The Enlightenment
…to the Lettres philosophiques (1734; Letters on England), which—taking England as a polemical model of philosophical freedom, experimental use of reason, enlightened patronage of arts and science, and respect for the new merchant classes and their contribution to the nation’s economic well-being—offered a program for a whole civilization, as well…
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