Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet invented himself as Voltaire after his first stay in the Bastille, imprisoned for verses mocking the Regent. It would not be his last imprisonment, nor his last provocation. Over a career spanning six decades, he became the most famous writer in Europe: playwright, poet, historian, philosopher, and above all, controversialist. Exiled to England after insulting a nobleman, he discovered Newton's physics, Locke's philosophy, and a society where people could argue about religion without being burned. He returned to France transformed, determined to import English enlightenment to his superstitious countrymen. His works were banned, burned, and smuggled across borders; his plays filled theaters; his correspondence reached thousands. He grew rich through clever investments and built an estate at Ferney, just across the Swiss border, where he could flee French authorities when necessary.

Voltaire is best known as a philosopher. French Enlightenment writer and philosopher who championed civil liberties and used satire to challenge dogma and tyranny.

Voltaire lived 1694-1778 CE, born in 1694 and died in 1778, during the early modern period.

Yes, free. Anyone can ask Voltaire, and a first question needs no account. Every answer is a Simulation in character, grounded in Voltaire’s real life, work and era. A good first question is: "How do I argue against a bad idea without making enemies?"