Philosophical Dictionary (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary is one of the most emblematic works of the French Enlightenment. Caustic, witty, and bold, the work was accused by French authorities of undermining the foundations of civil society, rashly applying human reason to matters long considered sacred. Its articles chipped away at the archaic institutional structures of Old Regime France and the power of the Catholic Church, denouncing the absurdities of traditional dogma and profoundly questioning the existing social and religious order.