A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 05

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Voltaire, 1694-1778

Contributor:

Leigh, Oliver Herbrand Gordon

Morley, John, 1838-1923

Smollett, T. (Tobias), 1721-1771.

Fleming, William F.

Series:

The Works of Voltaire, A Contemporary Version, Vol. 9

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 05" by Voltaire is a philosophical work written in the late 18th century. This volume is part of a larger collection in which Voltaire explores various concepts and ideas, often with a critical eye and a witty tone. The main subject in this opening portion revolves around the concept of fanaticism, examining its roots and manifestations across different cultures and religions. The opening of the work delves into the nature and implications of fanaticism as a distortion of conscience, where religious fervor spirals into violence and intolerance. Voltaire presents vivid examples, contrasting different religious practices and beliefs, illustrating how human imagination can warp spirituality into acts of extreme zealotry. He observes the historical consequences of fanaticism, detailing how it has led to countless atrocities and conflicts throughout history, ultimately arguing for a need for philosophy and reasoned discourse to counterbalance the "epidemic malady" of fanaticism. Voltaire's incisive critique sets a thought-provoking tone for the subsequent discussions in the volume. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Andrea Ball, Christine Bell & Marc D'Hooghe (From images generously made available by the Internet Archive.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 64.4 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionnaire_philosophique

Release date is 2011-03-28