File:Philosophes - Voltaire vs Rousseau.ppt

Western Civ Philosophes Project - Slide Show Comparing and Contrasting

Type of Government

• Voltaire
  • Constitutional monarchy
  • Distrusted democracy
  • Propagated the idiocy of the masses
  • He “would rather obey 1 lion then 200 rats of his own species”
• Rousseau
  • (Direct) Democracy
  • Grew up in Switzerland where adult males had direct vote in a small government
  • Distrusted representative democracy
  • “any law which the people has not ratified in person, is void”

Outlook on Life

• Voltaire
  • People too optimistic
  • People intolerant of other ideas
  • People foolish
• Rousseau
  • People want power
  • People born good and free
  • People who are strong imprison weaker people

Perfect Society

• Voltaire
  • People must work to make society better
  • “Everything happens for the better” is not true
  • People must work to perfect society
• Rousseau
  • If people lived alone on island, society would be perfect
  • Government makes a society less perfect

Religion

• Voltaire
  • Thought the Church controlled too much
  • Wanted religious tolerance for all
• Rousseau
  • No view listed

Book

• Voltaire
  • Candide
  • Written under pseudonym and never admitted writing it
  • Had a sharp wit, words, and ideas
• Rousseau
  • The Social Contract
  • People have direct say in government and sign “social contract”
  • Said that government should be ruled by the general will of the people

Their Life

• Voltaire
  • Educated at Louis-le Grand, a Jesuit college
  • Frequently in prison or fleeing the country due to brash remarks
  • Wrote many books
• Rousseau
  • Abandoned during teen years
  • Forced apprenticeship to evil engraver
  • Sheltered by rich people, who educated him

Their Dates

• Voltaire
  • Born November 21, 1694 in Paris
  • Died in Paris, 1777
  • Denied burial at church
  • Wrote book in 1759
• Rousseau
  • Born in Geneva in 1712
  • Died 1778
  • Wrote famous book in 1762

Famous Quotes

• Voltaire
  • “Écrasez l’infâme!”
  • Crush the evil thing
  • Prejudice = “opinion without judgment”
  • Wrote over 70 plays and was good with words
• Rousseau
  • “Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains”
  • “Any law which the people has not ratified in person; it is not law at all

Similarities

• Both had ideas that went against all other Philosophes
• Wanted people to be free
• Both had traditional views on women
• Spend a lot of time in Paris.