Voltaire: One of the Most Influential Philosophers of All Time
François-Marie Arouet, known by his pen name Voltaire, is considered one of the most influential philosophers in history.
Voltaire, a Frenchman of the Enlightenment period, lived in a bygone era in a distant land.
However, today you have the opportunity to get closer to him through a rare collection of his manuscripts housed at McGill University.
Nicholas Cronk, the head of the Voltaire Foundation, considers this collection to be one of the greatest in the world, featuring a vast array of Voltaire’s books and manuscripts.
As you explore the collection, you will uncover Voltaire’s inner thoughts and musings, handwritten by the philosopher himself. For example, you’ll find a letter to the King of Prussia where Voltaire describes his illness.
Voltaire was a prolific writer and had correspondence with around 1,800 people, including women philosophers like Émilie du Châtelet.
In some of their correspondence, Châtelet had covered Voltaire’s writings with dark ink, almost as if attempting to erase them.
Some of Voltaire’s works were deemed too controversial and were banned at the time. Despite this, he found a way to clandestinely disseminate his ideas by hiding forbidden texts within books that were allowed to circulate.
Many of Voltaire’s letters were written at his Chateau in Ferney, France, located near the Swiss border, as he was living in semi-exile.
The proximity to the border was intentional, allowing Voltaire a quick escape route if necessary.
Voltaire obtained the estate after winning the Paris lottery, which provided him with financial freedom to focus on his writing.
During this time, Voltaire wrote tirelessly, as noted by Ann Marie Holland, curator of Enlightenment collections at McGill Rare Books and Special Collections.
The documents from Voltaire’s chateau eventually came into the possession of the Lambert-David family, who had a connection to McGill through Prof. Peter Lambert-David Southam. Over several generations, the family protected the documents.
However, Christopher Lyons, McGill’s associate dean of libraries, convinced Southam to donate the collection to the university for research purposes.
“The interest in the collection is global,” says Lyons, as McGill has received numerous inquiries since acquiring it. This offers an opportunity to bring researchers together and facilitate collaboration.
Researchers and the curious alike can now access Voltaire’s works and related documents at McGill’s library.
“We are just a handshake away from Voltaire,” mentions Holland, emphasizing the proximity both physically and intellectually.
Although you can’t literally shake Voltaire’s hand, you can immerse yourself in the nearly 300 manuscripts and 1,500 pages of text, gaining insight into the thoughts of one of history’s most important philosophers.
In the words of Voltaire himself, “your most humble and most obeying servant.”
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