A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 01

Voltaire, 1694-1778Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 454K words
Chapters: 46

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 01 by VoltaireAuthor: Voltaire, 1694-1778,Language: English, Class: B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Release Date: Mar 28, 2011

Editor's review

This is the public-domain English e-book of Volume 01 of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary, released by Project Gutenberg. Voltaire uses the dictionary-entry form to break philosophy, religion, history, and social criticism into short, pointed articles; the tone is sharp and heavily satirical, so it reads less like a systematic treatise with a high barrier to entry and more like something you can open at any entry. Its value lies in presenting the skeptical spirit and argumentative method of an eighteenth-century Enlightenment thinker: many entries begin with an apparently objective definition and then move into dismantling dogma, prejudice, and institutional abuses. Note that this is an English translation, not the French original, and that it was written in a specific historical context; some polemical targets are obscure to today's readers, so background reading helps. It suits as an introduction to intellectual history, a reference for critical writing, or speculative reading in spare moments, a few entries at a time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers interested in the Enlightenment and Western philosophical history who want to read primary texts
Readers who like the short-entry form and are willing to do speculative reading in spare moments
Readers who need to understand Voltaire's satirical style and argumentative manner for writing
Readers with some English reading ability who want to expand their reading of English primary texts in intellectual history

Not a good fit for

Professional philosophy researchers expecting a systematic philosophical system or coherent argumentative structure
Readers with no knowledge of eighteenth-century European religious and historical background
Readers who need a Chinese translation and do not want to read English public-domain texts

Reading tips

You need not read straight through; start with entries on subjects you know and expand from there.
After each entry, summarize Voltaire's position in one or two sentences to train your ability to extract arguments.
When you meet unfamiliar names, sects, or historical events, do a little background reading first, then return to the text.
Read it alongside other Enlightenment thinkers to appreciate the differences in argumentative approaches within the same era.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a complete translation or an abridged selection?

This is the English e-book of Volume 01 of the Philosophical Dictionary, released as part of a multi-volume work, not the whole book at once. Readers interested in later content need to look for other volumes from Project Gutenberg or other public-domain sources.

Do I need to read a philosophical introduction first?

Not strictly. Voltaire's entries are relatively self-contained, and basic knowledge of European history and religion is enough to begin. For smoother reading, first learn the general background of the Enlightenment and the outline of Voltaire's life.

Why do the entries read like satirical essays?

This is Voltaire's typical manner: using the dictionary definition as a shell and inserting irony, exaggeration, and polemical commentary. Once you understand this, you can read each entry as a short essay rather than expecting neutral, encyclopedic explanation.

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About the author

Voltaire, 1694-1778 Author

Voltaire (1694–1778) was a highly influential French writer and thinker of the Enlightenment, known for his sharp satire, witty argumentation, and lucid prose. The collection holds 44 of his works, including Candide, ou l'optimisme, Zadig, and Letters on England. Candide uses its protagonist's extraordinary adventures and black humour to question blind optimism; Zadig employs an Oriental tale to explore fate and reason; and Letters on England reflects on French religious and political conditions through observations of English society and thought. Spanning philosophical tales, letters, and essays, these works are concise yet trenchant in language and have had a profound influence on later European literature and the spread of Enlightenment ideas. Because public information is limited, details of his early life and specific biography are not elaborated here.