PUBLIC LECTURE: Voltaire and contemporary France

In the eighteenth century Voltaire waged a campaign against religious intolerance, and fought for victims who had suffered persecution by the Catholic Church. More broadly, he and other French philosophers of the Enlightenment sought to combat religious superstition and to encourage members of different faiths to treat one another with compassion.

When, in modern France, the secular state has come into conflict with religion, Voltaire's example has often been cited. This talk will look at Voltaire’s legacy in France, and how his ideas are viewed in the wake of increasing terrorist activity.

Join Voltaire scholar Dr Paul Gibbard for this thought-provoking and pertinent presentation.