The Philosopher Freemason: Voltaire

"Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do." – Brother Voltaire

Please Note: Throughout this blog, Brother Voltaire will be referred to as Brother Arouet when discussing periods of his life that existed before he adopted his pen name.

Freemasonry is comprised of men who believe in honor, integrity, truth, and service to others. All the philosophical and ethical teachings at the heart of our fraternity imbue the virtues of equality, charity, tolerance, and fellowship in our members. For this reason, we have seen generations of quality men pass through our Lodges across the world—men who seek to be the light for those who need it most.

Although Brother François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, came to Freemasonry late in life, it was a natural pairing. As one of the most celebrated figures of the Enlightenment period, Brother Voltaire’s works and ideas continue to resonate today.

He was a prolific writer, philosopher, and advocate for civil liberties, penning literary works that included plays, poems, novels, essays, and more. He wrote over 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets in his life, many of which displayed his unparalleled wit and progressive criticisms of slavery.

This biography delves into Voltaire’s life, tracing his journey from a young boy in Paris to his rise as a leading intellectual of the Enlightenment. You’ll learn about his most significant works, his unyielding fight for justice and freedom of expression, and how his pursuit of knowledge, reason, and human dignity mirrors the values held dear by Freemasons around the world.

Childhood and Early Career

François-Marie Arouet was born in Paris as the youngest of five children to French nobles François Arouet and Marie Marguerite Daumard in 1694. There are disputes about the date and even the legitimacy of his birth, and the younger François believed his true father was an officer and songwriter named Rochebrune, a notion that kept him alienated from his putative father throughout his life.

Following the death of his mother when he was seven, Brother Arouet received his education from the Jesuits at the Collège Louis-le-Grand, where he studied Latin, theology, and rhetoric. His love for art was sparked during this period, particularly for literature and theater. Brother Arouet was still a teenager when he decided to become a writer, despite his father's wishes for him to pursue a career in law.  

Brother Arouet’s father intended to install his son in a position of public influence with the expectation he would rise through the ranks and become a diplomat. The young man spent time in Paris pretending to work as a notary’s apprentice while he was really filling his time writing poetry. When his father found out, he was promptly shipped to Caen to study law. But Brother Arouet’s passion for the written word couldn’t be snuffed out, and he continued to write, producing witty essays and historical studies that endeared him to the aristocracy.

In 1713, he moved to the Netherlands to serve as a secretary to the new French ambassador and soon began an affair with a woman named Catherine Olympe Dunoyer, known as 'Pimpette.' To avoid a scandal, he returned to France and devoted himself entirely to writing, leaving behind any possibility of a career in law and politics.

Popularity and First Controversy

Now singularly focused on his passion, Brother Arouet wrote caustically and in great volumes about the social and political issues of the day. He used humor to critique everything from religion to government to great effect and became immensely popular in Parisian high society. However, his criticisms attracted the attention of the government and eventually got him in trouble. After he accused the Régent of incest with his daughter, Brother Arouet was imprisoned in the Bastille from May 16, 1717, to April 15, 1718, in a windowless cell with ten-foot-thick walls.  

François-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer and philosopher

 The precise origins of the name Voltaire are unclear, but it is known that Brother Arouet adopted the name in 1718, following his release from the Bastille (Note from the author: Brother Arouet will now be referred to as Brother Voltaire for the remainder of the article). It is possible that after years of discord with his father, he simply could not stand to bear his name any longer. In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Rousseau in March 1719, Brother Voltaire wrote in the postscript: "I was so unhappy under the name of Arouet that I have taken another…”

His debut play, Œdipe, was first staged in The Comédie-Français in November 1718 and was immediately met with such critical acclaim that the Régent and King George I of Great Britain presented Brother Voltaire with medals.

 Exile, England, and Philosophizing

His next few works were met with mixed results. His play Artémire did not perform well, but the subsequent epic poem, La Henriade, celebrating Henry IV of France, was a great success. A few years later, Brother Voltaire’s confrontational and witty nature got the better of him, and after insulting a French aristocrat, he wound up imprisoned once again in the Bastille on April 17, 1726. Rather than face indefinite imprisonment, Brother Voltaire requested exile to England instead.

Brother Voltaire quickly integrated into English high society and befriended members of the nobility and royalty and his time immersed in a new culture naturally influenced his thinking, especially Britain's freedom of speech and religion. He discovered Shakespeare, studied from great scientists, such as Sir Isaac Newton, and gained a deep appreciation for Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, such as Adam Smith and David Hume. 

In 1729, Brother Voltaire returned to France and soon befriended French mathematician Charles Marie de La Condamine, who organized a scheme that took advantage of a loophole in the French lottery. He earned as much as a million livres, invested the money, and gained control of a trust fund inherited from his father, securing him financially for the rest of his life.

Now set to fill his years writing, he wrote pro-British essays that were publicly burnt and banned, and Brother Voltaire was again forced to flee Paris. He soon met Émilie du Châtelet, a mathematician and married mother of three, with whom he spent the next 16 years in an affair. The two shared a deep appreciation for science, literature, and philosophy and together conducted scientific research in their shared home, Cirey, a château in northeastern France.

Ready to learn from his past mistakes, Brother Voltaire began avoiding open confrontation with the authorities. He wrote more plays and studied science and history extensively, particularly Sir Isaac Newton's theories. Brother Voltaire explored metaphysical questions concerning the existence of God and the soul, analyzing the Bible and solidifying his belief in the separation of Church and state and religious freedom.

A Royal Correspondence

In August 1736, Frederick the Great of Prussia began corresponding with Brother Voltaire. In July 1740, he traveled to The Hague on behalf of Frederick to dissuade a dubious publisher from printing Frederick's "Anti-Machiavel" without permission. The two met for the first time at Moyland Castle, and Brother Voltaire went to stay with Frederick in Berlin in November. The French government, intrigued by this new friendship, later sent Brother Voltaire to Frederick's court in 1743 as a spy to observe Frederick's military intentions. He later moved to Prussia full-time during the 1750s at the King’s invitation. Frederick made him a chamberlain and appointed him to the Order of Merit.  

Menzel’s Die Tafelrunde depicts guests of Frederick the Great at Sanssouci, including Voltaire (third from left)

Life initially went well for Brother Voltaire in Prussia, and in 1751, he completed "Micromégas," a work of science fiction. However, his relationship with Frederick began to deteriorate. Following several disputes with Prussian officials, Brother Voltaire resigned as chamberlain on January 1, 1752. He made his way slowly back to France, staying first at Leipzig, Gotha, Kassel, and Frankfurt. Alas, he was not to be welcomed back in Paris.  

In January 1754, Louis XV banned him from Paris. He turned to Geneva, where he bought a large estate called Les Délices in early 1755. Initially welcomed, the Geneva law banning theatrical performances and the unauthorized publication of "The Maid of Orleans" soured his relationship with the Calvinist Genevans. In late 1758, Brother Voltaire moved to Ferney on the French side of the Franco-Swiss border. The town eventually adopted his name, calling itself Ferney-Voltaire, which became its official name in 1878.

Major Works, Celebrity, and Freemasonry

Early in 1759, Brother Voltaire published what would become his most famous work, "Candide, ou l'Optimisme" (Candide, or Optimism). He remained in Ferney for the remaining 20 years of his life, now an unmatched intellectual celebrity. In 1764, he published one of his best-known works, the "Dictionnaire philosophique," a series of articles that primarily examined Christian history and dogmas.

Voltaire's famous work Candide, 1759

In February 1778, Brother Voltaire returned to Paris after 25 years to see the opening of his latest play, Irene. It was a hard journey for the 83-year-old, and after a brief illness, he finally saw the performance. By this time, Brother Voltaire was known as a Deist and saw religion as a vital means for people to connect with one another. His wit, wisdom, and celebrity allowed him to meet many notable people of his day, including Brother Benjamin Franklin, whom he met at the Academy of the Sciences in 1778 while Brother Franklin was minister to France.

 Brother Franklin had been a practicing Freemason for 40 years and hoped to join la Loge des Neuf Sœurs (Lodge of the Nine Sisters) in France to form connections and bring aid to America during the American Revolution. Brother Franklin joined in 1778 and soon convinced Brother Voltaire to join as well. He was initiated into Freemasonry on April 4, 1778, a few weeks before his death.

The Spark of a Revolution

Brother Voltaire soon became ill again and died on May 30, 1778. Although he was denied a Christian burial due to his famous criticisms of the Church, friends secretly buried him at the Abbey of Scellières in Champagne. As a staunch advocate for civil liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state, and his critiques of the Catholic Church and French monarchy, his writings resonated with the revolutionary thinkers who sought to diminish the power of both institutions.

On July 11, 1791, the National Assembly of France honored Brother Voltaire by returning his remains to Paris and enshrining them in the Panthéon. A million people attended the procession, which stretched throughout Paris.

Brother Voltaire's life and works serve as a testament to the enduring power of reason, justice, and freedom of expression. His relentless advocacy for civil liberties, critique of religious intolerance, and influence on the Enlightenment ideals laid the intellectual groundwork for the French Revolution. As a member of Freemasonry, Brother Voltaire's values of equality, tolerance, and truth were in perfect harmony with the fraternity's principles. His legacy continues to inspire generations of Freemasons and intellectuals worldwide, reminding us that the pursuit of knowledge and the fight for human dignity are timeless endeavors.