Alan Charles Kors: Voltaire’s ‘Philosophical Letters,’ Part II

Ralston College presents a lecture by Alan Charles Kors on Voltaire’s great work ’The Philosophical Letters.’ Profoundly impressed by the English scientific and philosophical revolutions of the seventeenth century, Voltaire sought to explain and to popularize new British thinking to his French readers. He argued that sound and innovative thinkers were more important to humanity than its political or military heroes and that preferring the philosophers of one’s native land over those of another nation was a barrier to truth and knowledge. In this second part of a broader lecture on Voltaire’s thought, Professor Kors expands upon Voltaire’s observations of the relative political and economic freedom in England at the time and its connection to an underlying philosophical worldview. This lecture and discussion were recorded with a live online audience on April 28th, 2022. Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode Alan Charles Kors, ‘Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment’ Alan Charles Kors, ‘Atheism in France, 1650–1729: The Orthodox Sources of Disbelief’ Voltaire, ‘The Philosophical Letters’ William Penn Socinianism John Locke Deism Edmund Burke Links of Possible Interest: Dr Kors’ Profile at FIRE Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment Ralston College Ralston College Short Courses Ralston College Humanities MA Stephen Blackwood Timeline 0:00 – Introduction 2:09 – Kors’ Lecture: Criticism and response to Voltaire’s work in his time 8:09– Context of ‘The Philosophical Letters’ publication 17:23 – Voltaire’s use of irony 19:43 – Voltaire on the Quakers and the introduction of pluralistic thought 30:00 – Religion studied in natural terms 42:22 – The Socinians and the founding of new religious sects 44:48 – The virtues of English governance versus the French aristocracy *Discussion* 54:52 – Voltaire’s admiration of the Quakers’ first principles 1:01:59 – The limitation of arbitrary power; religious monism as an origin for human suffering 1:11:44 – Why could England control the power of kings? 1:15:33 – Voltaire’s support for English empiricism over French rationalism 1:19:27 – Political radicalism and Voltaire’s fear of disorder 1:22:22 – Voltaire’s ‘reform of the mind’ and the necessity of humility 1:32:42 – The cost of coercion and what is at stake in freedom of conscience #RalstonCollege