The Treatise on Tolerance is a work by French philosopher Voltaire, published in 17631. In this work, Voltaire calls for religious toleration and targets religious fanaticism, especially that of the Jesuits.
The treatise was written in response to the trial of Jean
Calas, a French Protestant merchant accused of murdering his son Marc-Antoine
to prevent his supposed conversion to the Catholic Church. Despite a lack of
evidence, Calas was executed largely due to the reaction of an angry mob and
the zealousness of some local magistrates.
Voltaire was struck by the extreme injustice of the case and
undertook a campaign to exonerate Jean Calas, putting Catholic prejudice and
fanaticism on display. In 1765, after Louis XV of France fired the chief
magistrate and the case was retried by another court, Calas was posthumously
exonerated.
Voltaire’s argument in the treatise is illustrated in
several passages where he questions the logic of condemning those who are not
members of the Church of Rome and highlights the absurdity of eternal
punishment for virtuous individuals who are not Christian.
The book was finished by January 2, 1763, and it was printed
by the Cramer brothers in Geneva in April 17631. Despite being quickly banned,
it still made its way to the public, becoming extremely popular in Paris and
throughout Europe.
More on Voltaire and religions
Voltaire was a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, and
historian known for his criticism of Christianity, especially the Roman
Catholic Church, and his advocacy for freedom of speech, freedom of religion,
and separation of church and state.
Voltaire’s critical views on religion led to his belief in
the separation of church and state and religious freedom. He was not a fan of
the Bible and was vigorously against the Catholic Church. He believed that the
Church was gaining from being involved in politics by pocketing a religious
tax, which is why Voltaire thought they had no place in politics.
In his work Candide, Voltaire depicts all religions as ‘evil
superstitions’, which can be dangerous to society and people. For instance,
Voltaire argues that people live in the “best of all possible worlds” by
criticizing Leibniz’s ideas.
