“Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.”
—Voltaire,
Dictionnaire philosophique
Voltaire's monumental Philosophical Dictionary was first published anonymously in Geneva in 1764, and became a lifelong project for Voltaire. The Dictionary form, pioneered by Bayle, was uniquely a phenomenon of interest, but it is not merely a product of its history, but its dictionary stands out from its predecessors. It is overtly populist, intended as an inexpensive pocket edition to 'entertain and instruct' any would-be philosopher. Its non-linear, abridged form allows Voltaire the freedom to express himself.
His aims range from sharp criticism of the Church and religious prejudice - particularly in the light of the institutional anti-protestant injustice of the Calas Affair - to his espousal of tolerance, freedom of expression and deism. These two volumes reproduce the Dictionary in its entirety, from 'Abbot' to 'Virtu', together with a detailed exploration of the book's composition, structure and reception.
Link: http://www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/book/dictionnaire-philosophique-i-ii
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