Essay Sample on Voltaire's Enlightened Ideals of Freedom of Speech and Religious Freedom

The enlightenment is a very important part in history because its influence on people and the way it's shaped society. One of the men responsible for this is a man named Voltaire who believed that people should have the right of speech and religion and that the government's power should be limited. He fought for people to have the freedom of religion and to be able to pray and believe in what they believe in. Voltaire has influenced so many people and shaped society with his enlightened ideals of freedom of speech and religious freedom.

Voltaire's passion and desire to fight for freedom of religion,  For example “England is properly the country of sectarists. Multae sunt mansiones in domo patris mei (in my Father's house are many mansions). An Englishman, as one to whom liberty is natural, may go to heaven his own way.  Nevertheless, though everyone is permitted to serve God in whatever mode or fashion he thinks proper, yet their true religion, that in which a man makes his fortune, is the sect of Episcopalians or Churchmen, called the Church of England, or simply the Church, by way of eminence. No person can possess an employment either in England or Ireland unless he be ranked among the faithful, that is, professes himself a member of the Church of England. This reason (which carries mathematical evidence with it) has converted such numbers of Dissenters of all persuasions, that not a twentieth part of the nation is out of the pale of the Established Church. The English clergy have retained a great number of the Romish ceremonies, and especially that of receiving, with a most scrupulous attention, their tithes. They also have the pious ambition to aim at superiority”. This quote shows that Voltaire wants people to be allowed to practice whatever religion they want. He also says an Englishman, as one to whom liberty is natural, may go to heaven his own way which means that whatever religion they chose to follow they will go to heaven so you don’t have one set religion.  He goes on to say “Nevertheless, though everyone is permitted to serve God in whatever mode or fashion he thinks proper, yet their true religion, that in which a man makes his fortune.” This means that if you allow men and women to serve god from whatever religion they want it makes his fortune which means it will allow men and women to evolve. (FROM Letter V: On The Church Of England https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1778voltaire-lettres.asp#Letter%20VIII).

Voltaire's strong desire for a balanced government impacted the way of the French government. Without restrictions for the government it would only hurt France. As many countries start evolving and letting in new ideas France would be set backwards. “The House of Lords and that of the Commons divide the legislative power under the king, but the Romans had no such balance. The patricians and plebeians in Rome were perpetually at variance, and there was no intermediate power to reconcile them. The Roman senate, who were so unjustly, so criminally proud as not to suffer the plebeians to share with them in anything, could find no other artifice to keep the latter out of the administration than by employing them in foreign wars. They considered the plebeians as a wild beast, whom it behoved them to let loose upon their neighbours, for fear they should devour their masters. Thus the greatest defect in the Government of the Romans raised them to be conquerors. By being unhappy at home, they triumphed over and possessed themselves of the world, till at last their divisions sunk them to slavery”. This quote shows that Voltaire is trying to show the French government without balance in the government people revolt and it hurts them to be a monarch then to have a republic. And he’s trying to show them that other monarchs don’t work and that they're unjust and unfair, starting wars for their personal gains. In addition the romans had unchecked power and that the commoners were were barbaric they sent them to die in forgien war. So Voltaire is trying to show the French government that what England has is good and they should follow their system and that what the Romans have does not work and will end up failing.  (FROM THE Voltaire (1694-1778): Letters on the English or Lettres Philosophiques, c. 1778) (https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1778voltaire-lettres.asp#Letter%20VIII).

Voltaire’s push for people to have the freedom of speech impacted the way people  are   able to speak today. Without Voltaire's desire to fight for freedom of speech we wouldn't be able to talk the way we do today. Voltaire said “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” This is showing that even if he doesn’t agree on what you're saying he will still defend you because it is your right to say it. He helped impact the way we speak today because what he is saying is what we have in the US constitution.  (FROM Google Classroom assignment 4. Quotes of Enlightenment Thinkers https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AU4JBNAt3gUxORnRmrZIHsiR7AzL4UU_ruhG73NHvVU/edit) 

In conclusion Voltaire helped and impacted freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and that the government's power should be limited, by doing this countless countries and nations have freedom of speech and freedom of religion and have a democratic government. Voltaire has impacted and influenced society and impacted history.