Voltaire, François Marie Arouet de

Voltaire, François Marie Arouet de (fräNswä' märē' ärwā' du vôlter') [key], 1694–1778, French philosopher and author, whose original name was Arouet. One of the towering geniuses in literary and intellectual history, Voltaire personifies the Enlightenment.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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