François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire

Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, and philosopher known for his wit and his defense of civil liberties, including both freedom of religion and free trade.

Voltaire was a prolific writer and produced works in almost every literary form including plays, poetry, novels, essays, historical and scientific works, more than 20, 000 letters and more than 2, 000 books and pamphlets.

Voltaire was one of several Enlightenment figures along with Montesquieu, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau whose works and ideas influenced important thinkers of both the American and French Revolutions.