Complete Works of Voltaire 35 - Dictionnaire philosophique (I) (Hardcover, Critical edition)

Voltaire's monumental "Dictionnaire philosophique" was first published anonymously in Geneva in 1764, and became a lifelong project for Voltaire. The Dictionary form, pioneered by Bayle, was a uniquely Enlightenment phenomenon, but Voltaire's interest in the alphabetical structure is not simply a product of his time, and his dictionary stands apart from its predecessors as much as it follows them. It is overtly populist, intended as an inexpensive pocket edition to 'entertain and instruct' any would-be philosopher. Its non-linear, abridged form allows Voltaire the freedom to express himself. His targets range from sharp criticism of the Church and religious prejudice - particularly in the light of the institutional anti-protestant injustice of the Calas Affair - to his espousal of tolerance, freedom of expression and deism. This and the following volume reproduce the "Dictionnaire" in its entirety, from 'Abbe' to 'Virtu', together with a detailed exploration of the book's composition, structure and reception.