A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 09

Voltaire, 1694-1778Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 465K words
Chapters: 47

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 09 by VoltaireAuthor: Voltaire, 1694-1778,Language: English, Class: B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Release Date: Mar 28, 2011

Editor's review

This volume is the public-domain English text of the ninth volume of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary, part of the public-domain resources compiled by Project Gutenberg. Its value for readers lies in direct contact with the original form of Enlightenment dictionary-style writing: entries are short and topics scattered, yet they concentrate Voltaire's enduring concern with religious tolerance, rational critique, institutional abuses and historical narrative. Like Volume 7, it is not a coherent philosophical system but an intellectual contest entered through entries, by turns witty and biting, with a strong polemical flavor. For Chinese readers, this English text is better used as fragments of an intellectual-history primary source: one can observe how eighteenth-century public writing used the dictionary form to spread critical ideas, and appreciate the rhetorical strategies of Voltairean irony. Its limits are also obvious: entries stand alone, contexts jump, the English vocabulary bears the marks of its age, and without notes the cost of understanding is high. It is advisable not to treat it as a book to read straight through, but to select entries by theme and read them alongside background materials on the Enlightenment, which better realizes its value.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Voltaire's thought and Enlightenment polemics who wish to read the English original
Students of literature and intellectual history needing samples of eighteenth-century dictionary-style writing
Readers who like short entries to dip into at will and do not seek systematic argument
Those with some English foundation who can look up religious and historical background themselves

Not a good fit for

Learners needing systematic philosophy textbooks or course handouts
Ordinary readers with limited English reading ability who prefer a Chinese translation
Professional philosophy researchers expecting a complete theoretical system and rigorous argumentation

Reading tips

Select entries by theme, prioritizing those on tolerance, religion and history
After each entry, first summarize the argument in your own words, then revisit Voltaire's satirical target
Read alongside a general history of the Enlightenment or a Voltaire biography to fill in the polemical context behind the entries
No need to read by volume order; read across volumes and keep thematic notes

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

Does this volume overlap with Volume 7?

No. The two are English electronic texts of different volumes of the Philosophical Dictionary, with different entries and arrangement. Check each volume's table of contents for specific entries; for thematic reading, compare the contents first to avoid rereading the same entry.

Is it suitable as an introduction to philosophy?

Not very. It lacks a systematic introduction and notes, and entries often target specific historical controversies, so readers with no background may see only the wit and miss the thread. A safer approach is to read an introductory guide to the Enlightenment or Voltaire's thought first, then browse this volume as fragments of a primary source.

What if the English version is hard to read?

Start with short entries, and look up background on people, sects and historical events as you go; you can also consult the relevant entries in a Chinese translation for the gist. Focus on grasping Voltaire's critical angle and satirical technique rather than weighing every allusion word by word.

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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.