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The Age Of Enlightenment By Francois Marie Arouet

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The Age of Enlightenment was a time of philosophical movements and new ways of thinking that prevailed in Europe and spread all over the world in the 18th century. This era saw the rise of many writers and philosophers that are still recognized and praised today. Goals like tolerance, reason, progress, and the removal of the injustices of church and state were prominent in works by Enlightenment thinkers. Although they shared similar goals, methods to accomplish them were varied. Writers brought these new ideas to life and were key in the widespread changes in thinking we see occur during the Enlightenment.

One of the arguably most controversial individuals of this time was French philosopher and writer Francois Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name, Voltaire. He attacked autocracy, intolerance, and any religion he deemed “too strict.” He was extremely critical of the Catholic faith, and thought of the Bible as outdated moral reference. Voltaire saw himself to be a Deist; he did not believe that absolute faith, based upon any particular or singular religious text or tradition of revelation, was needed to believe in God. It was this belief that fueled his writings that quickly became some of the most well known and talked about during the Enlightenment period.

Another important figure during the Enlightenment was Olaudah Equiano, a man who was kidnapped and brought to the New World as a slave. Like Voltaire, his writings brought to light new ideas and called for

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