About this site
Voltaire is considered one of the premier authors and philosophers of the Enlightenment. While the Enlightenment is by no means synonymous with the Scientific Revolution, which culminated with Newton’s discovery of his laws of motion and his Universal Law of Gravitation, they both had their origins in the Renaissance. Both are founded on the principle that in humans’ search for Truth, they must eschew superstition and dogma, and rely solely on their reason and on careful observations of the world around them.
In perhaps his most famous work, Candide, Voltaire made clear his view that philosophical reasoning, unsupported by experience, empirical data, and experiment, is purely an exercise in speculation. When Candide and his small group of travel companions, after a long journey filled with virtually all the horrors that Man and Nature can devise, find sanctuary on a small plot of farmland in Turkey, they decide to travel no farther, and instead to settle down and find community and security in a simple life. After many philosophical discussions surrounding the Problem of Evil and the Meaning of Suffering throughout their times together, one philosopher in the group says, “Let us work without speculating. It is the only way to make life bearable.” The other philosopher in the group, having much more of an optimistic outlook on the human condition and a steadfast belief that this is the best of all possible worlds, suggests that their past travails and tribulations were necessary causal links that ultimately led them to their little farm.
“That is very well put,” said Candide, “but we must cultivate our garden.”
This website is intended to serve as a sanctuary where one can sample the fruits of the Enlightenment. To that end, it seems fitting to devote the first article on this website to Sir Isaac Newton and his legacy, and the second article to Candide and other great works that have explored the Problem of Evil. I hope that visitors will find the articles educational and entertaining.