Welcome!

Enter a player name to begin or load your saved progress.

Voltaire Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge

Study Hints Create Teach
Global Score: 0
Trophies: 0 🏆

‹ Back

Score: 0 / 100

Study Guide: Voltaire: Enlightenment Thinker and Writer

Cheat Sheet:
Voltaire: Enlightenment Thinker and Writer Study Guide

Biography and Early Life

Voltaire's birth name was François-Marie Arouet, and he adopted the pen name Voltaire after his release from the Bastille.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire was born in London, England, on November 21, 1694.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire received his education from the Sorbonne in Paris.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's father, a lawyer, encouraged him to pursue a career in writing.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's first imprisonment in the Bastille was due to a satirical verse accusing the Régent of treason.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire adopted the name Voltaire in 1718, possibly as an anagram related to his surname.

Answer: True

Return to Game

What was Voltaire's birth name?

Answer: François-Marie Arouet

Return to Game

In which city and country was Voltaire born?

Answer: Paris, France

Return to Game

What was Voltaire's father's profession?

Answer: Lawyer

Return to Game

What was the primary reason for Voltaire's first imprisonment in the Bastille?

Answer: Writing a satirical verse about the Régent's alleged incest

Return to Game

In what year did Voltaire adopt the pen name Voltaire?

Answer: 1718

Return to Game

Literary Works and Contributions

Voltaire primarily worked as a painter and composer during the Enlightenment.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire was a prolific writer, producing fewer than 1,000 books and pamphlets.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's most famous work is the philosophical novella 'Candide, ou l'Optimisme', published in 1759.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's debut play, 'Oedipe', was a critical and financial failure.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's book 'Elements of the Philosophy of Newton' helped popularize Cartesian scientific theories in France.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's most renowned historical works include 'The Age of Louis XIV' and 'The History of Charles XII'.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's play 'Mahomet' explored themes of religious fanaticism and manipulation.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire wrote approximately ten plays during his career.

Answer: False

Return to Game

In Candide, Voltaire satirized the philosophical concept of theodicy.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Which of the following best describes Voltaire's primary occupation?

Answer: Writer, Philosopher, Satirist, and Historian

Return to Game

What is considered Voltaire's best-known work and magnum opus?

Answer: Candide, ou l'Optimisme

Return to Game

Voltaire's novella 'Candide' is known for satirizing which philosophical concept?

Answer: Philosophical optimism

Return to Game

Which of Voltaire's works caused a scandal in France, leading to it being publicly burned?

Answer: Letters Concerning the English Nation

Return to Game

Voltaire's book 'Elements of the Philosophy of Newton' was instrumental in promoting whose ideas in France?

Answer: Isaac Newton

Return to Game

Which of the following is NOT listed as one of Voltaire's renowned historical works?

Answer: The Spirit of the Laws

Return to Game

Voltaire's tragedy 'Mahomet' (or 'Fanaticism') aimed to expose:

Answer: The excesses of religious fanaticism

Return to Game

Which of the following is mentioned as one of Voltaire's notable plays?

Answer: Zaïre

Return to Game

In Candide, Voltaire satirized Gottfried Leibniz's philosophy concerning:

Answer: The best of all possible worlds

Return to Game

Approximately how many plays did Voltaire write during his career?

Answer: Around 50-60

Return to Game

Philosophical and Religious Views

Voltaire strongly advocated for freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire, a deist, believed that belief in a supreme being was a matter of faith, not reason.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire advocated for the toleration of other religions and ethnicities, viewing all people as brothers.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire was highly critical of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church, satirizing their dogma and intolerance.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire held a uniformly positive view of the Bible throughout his life.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire strongly supported democracy, believing it was the most effective form of government.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire was a polygenist, suggesting that different human races originated separately.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire admired Confucianism for its rationalism and ethical principles.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire viewed the French bourgeoisie as highly effective and the aristocracy as essential for societal progress.

Answer: False

Return to Game

The conclusion 'It is up to us to cultivate our garden' from Candide advocates for focusing on abstract philosophical ideals.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's quote 'If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him' was intended as a cynical dismissal of religion.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire believed superstition was beneficial and promoted societal harmony.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire generally supported the French monarchy's censorship laws due to their role in maintaining order.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire was a strong advocate for which fundamental rights?

Answer: Freedom of speech and freedom of religion

Return to Game

Voltaire identified himself as a deist, meaning he believed:

Answer: That God exists but does not intervene in the world

Return to Game

Voltaire distrusted democracy because he viewed it as:

Answer: A propagation of the 'idiocy of the masses'

Return to Game

Voltaire's view on race included the speculation that different races:

Answer: Had separate origins

Return to Game

Voltaire admired Confucianism primarily for its:

Answer: Rationalism and ethical principles

Return to Game

Voltaire viewed the common people of his time as:

Answer: Ignorant and superstitious

Return to Game

The aphorism 'It is up to us to cultivate our garden' from Candide suggests a philosophy centered on:

Answer: Practical action and personal responsibility

Return to Game

Voltaire's statement about the necessity of inventing God was a response to:

Answer: Advocates of atheism

Return to Game

Voltaire believed that superstition was harmful because it:

Answer: Led to societal conflict

Return to Game

Voltaire's critical stance on French censorship laws stemmed from:

Answer: His critiques of the government and established institutions

Return to Game

Social Critique and Advocacy

The phrase 'Écrasez l'infâme' used by Voltaire referred to his opposition to slavery.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire famously dismissed the vast territory of New France as 'a few acres of snow'.

Answer: True

Return to Game

In 'Candide', Voltaire expressed indifference to the suffering of slaves.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire held a positive view of Islam, praising Muhammad as a prophet.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's views on Judaism were consistently favorable, praising Jewish religious practices.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire never condemned the persecution of Jews and sometimes advocated for violence against them.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire, a vegetarian, used the antiquity of Hinduism to challenge the Bible's historical claims.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's call to 'crush the infamous' was directed at the suppression of scientific inquiry.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's advocacy for Jean Calas helped overturn the unjust conviction and execution of the Huguenot merchant.

Answer: True

Return to Game

What did Voltaire mean by the phrase 'Écrasez l'infâme'?

Answer: Destroy all forms of superstition and religious intolerance

Return to Game

Voltaire's dismissive description of New France as 'a few acres of snow' reflected his view on:

Answer: France's colonial policy in North America

Return to Game

What did Voltaire say about the price of sugar in Europe in relation to slavery?

Answer: The price of sugar came at a terrible human cost, referencing a mutilated slave.

Return to Game

Voltaire's opinion of Islam included describing Muhammad as:

Answer: A sublime charlatan and false prophet

Return to Game

While Voltaire's views on Judaism were largely negative, he did:

Answer: Condemn the persecution of Jews on several occasions

Return to Game

Voltaire, who supported animal rights, used the antiquity of which religion to challenge the Bible?

Answer: Hinduism

Return to Game

Voltaire's call to 'crush the infamous' was a campaign against:

Answer: Religious and political abuses, superstition, and intolerance

Return to Game

Voltaire's advocacy for Jean Calas demonstrated his commitment to:

Answer: Challenging religious persecution and upholding civil rights

Return to Game

Influences and Relationships

During his exile in England, Voltaire was influenced by French absolutism and its literature.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's 'Letters Concerning the English Nation' praised French absolutism and led to his quiet acceptance back in Paris.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Émilie du Châtelet was a French mathematician and physicist who collaborated intellectually with Voltaire for 16 years.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's relationship with Frederick the Great ended amicably after Voltaire left Prussia.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau maintained a lifelong friendship and mutual admiration.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire found Dutch society restrictive and lacking in tolerance compared to France.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's time in England led him to admire French absolutism more.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's exile in England (1726-1728) significantly influenced him to admire:

Answer: British constitutional monarchy and freedom of speech

Return to Game

Who was Émilie du Châtelet, known for her relationship with Voltaire?

Answer: A French mathematician and physicist

Return to Game

Which event significantly contributed to the deterioration of Voltaire's relationship with Frederick the Great?

Answer: Voltaire's satirical 'Diatribe of Doctor Akakia'

Return to Game

Voltaire's relationship with Jean-Jacques Rousseau is best characterized as:

Answer: Complex and often adversarial

Return to Game

Voltaire's impression of Dutch society during his travels was one of:

Answer: Openness and tolerance

Return to Game

Voltaire's admiration for English literature, particularly Shakespeare, developed during his:

Answer: Exile in England

Return to Game

Historical Impact and Legacy

The famous quote 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' is accurately attributed to Voltaire.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire influenced historiography by shifting focus from diplomatic events to customs, social history, and achievements in arts and sciences.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's remains were enshrined in the Panthéon in Paris in 1791.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire is honored in France primarily for his military leadership during the Seven Years' War.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Thomas Carlyle criticized Voltaire for viewing history through an objective, unbiased lens.

Answer: False

Return to Game

The town of Ferney was renamed Ferney-Voltaire in his honor after his death.

Answer: True

Return to Game

The Voltaire Foundation, based in Oxford, is responsible for publishing Voltaire's complete works.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's advocacy for reason and civil liberties made him a central figure of the Age of Enlightenment.

Answer: True

Return to Game

Voltaire's writings influenced later movements, including the rise of Romanticism.

Answer: False

Return to Game

Voltaire's historiography broke from tradition by focusing primarily on theological interpretations of events.

Answer: False

Return to Game

The famous quote summarizing Voltaire's view on free speech ('I disapprove of what you say...') was actually written by whom?

Answer: Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Return to Game

How did Voltaire's approach to history differ from traditional methods?

Answer: He prioritized customs, social history, arts, and sciences over solely diplomatic/military events.

Return to Game

In what famous Parisian monument were Voltaire's remains eventually enshrined?

Answer: The Panthéon

Return to Game

Voltaire is honored in France as a fighter for:

Answer: Civil rights and denouncing injustice

Return to Game

Thomas Carlyle's critique of Voltaire's perspective on history suggested Voltaire viewed history through:

Answer: A biased, anti-Catholic lens

Return to Game

The town where Voltaire lived for the last 20 years of his life, later renamed in his honor, is:

Answer: Ferney

Return to Game

The Voltaire Foundation, located at the University of Oxford, is primarily dedicated to:

Answer: Publishing the Complete Works of Voltaire

Return to Game

Voltaire is considered a central figure of the Age of Enlightenment due to his advocacy for:

Answer: Reason, tolerance, and civil liberties

Return to Game

Voltaire's writings significantly influenced later movements, including:

Answer: The French Revolution and liberalism

Return to Game

Voltaire's break from traditional historiography involved a shift away from:

Answer: Emphasis on diplomatic and military events

Return to Game