Diccionario filosófico (edition 1930)

Abstracts from multi-volume masterpiece of a controversial figure of the Enlightenment shows many facets of Voltaire's genius

Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary is not what one would necessarily expect of a 'philosophical' work and it is certainly not a dictionary in the common understanding of the term; it is in fact an anthology of short pieces on an impressively wide array of subjects. (I mention this for the benefit of those totally unfamiliar with the work).

That brief clarification aside, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pieces contained within the 400 pages of the Theodore Besterman translation. Having previously read the Penguin Great Ideas edition ('Miracles and Idolatry', comprised of a selection of 28 of the pieces) I had assumed that the rest of the work would pale in comparison – Penguin would surely have selected only the 28 best bits? But no! I am pleased to report that although Penguin had indeed selected the 28 most entertaining examples for their 'Great Ideas' series, the rest of the work is of equally high quality. Voltaire's mastery of subtle (and not so subtle) irony is both wonderful and devastating; his courage in publishing is entirely admirable; his wit is effective and endearing; and his high-grade intellect is undeniably brilliant. All these personal characteristics and more combine to produce an altogether truly great work that I am sure I shall return to for both entertainment and enlightenment.

Peut-etre suffise cette: " La Foi consiste à croire, non ce qui semble vrai, mais ce qui semble faux à notre entendement." ( )

Philosophical satire at its finest.

In this volume, Voltaire is a better observer than he is philosopher; many of the entries are poorly thought out and inconsistent, but written with his characteristic wit and flair. Not his best work, but it does paint an interesting picture of the values of his time. ( )