@@johne.8939 Your statement against Voltaire is most certainly an oversimplification. If Christian Churches would have given copies of the book of Proverbs to all young adults in their teen aged years then the general public would have had a better grasp of morality. If those same churches would have encouraged their patrons to pray to Jesus in the book of Psalms then professed Christians would undoubtedly have had a much more fruitful prayer life. If Christians were taught to read and study the Gospels of Jesus and the Epistles of Paul throughout their lives on earth; then surely this world would not be going to hell in a hand basket. And its the church that's holding the basket! Most certainly it is the Catholic Church, more than any other, that is the most bloody and cruel of all the Christian churches. It has denied the people these wisdom's found within the Bible and has denied its patrons the public library. Just imagine for a moment Christians going to the library and reading the writings of A.W.Tozer, C.S.Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, or biographies of men like William Tyndale or the story of the Waldensians. As it is most Christians are ignorant of the history of Christianity, ignorant of the Bible and ignorant of the histories of their own countries in which they live. As for the collapse of western civilization; I strongly suspect that it is spearheaded by the W.E.F. and their Agenda 2030. The billionaires club of multinational corporations and their political puppets seem to be behind the curtain of this current moral depravity. Big pharma and the medical establishment, and the school teachers union, all seem to be working hand in glove with the globalist agenda. The Christian Church seems to be as quiet as a church mouse.
Backfiring overly stringent censorship by Liberal platforms is factual fuel for the muh free speech paranoia. Deny reality of real crimes done that Lefty Won't Listen about, whoops people funnelled to 'totally different' echo chambers.
Oh what a surprise. Dare to criticise the platform for a factual error they're making as policy that increases polarisation and extremism, and it glitches. How interesting.
2:35 - Chapter 1 - My motto is to the point 5:40 - Chapter 2 - To the point 7:00 - Chapter 3 - Love truth but pardon error 9:35 - Chapter 4 - What are we to think of human reason ? 11:30 - Chapter 5 - In short, she makes me happy 13:30 - Chapter 6 - More is possible than people think 15:10 - Chapter 7 - Let us cultivate our garden 17:50 - Chapter 8 - I die adoring god
"The Perfect is the enemy of The Good" - Voltaire breaking the Perfectionist / Perfect Solution Fallacy. Many, many people need to learn that one. As also commented by Edmund Burke: "Nobody made a greater mistake, than they who didn't even try, because they believed they could only achieve little, if anything" - To expand his work. "Strive for perfection, always. Do not throw TANTRUMS if you cannot achieve nor receive it. If absolutely necessary and no other choice, accept the lesser evil" - Horseshoe Party UK. "Making the world a better place, is a marathon not a sprint" - I cannot find a source for it. Maybe I coined it, maybe nicked it from a friend. "Who is my master? He who decides what repels or attracts me" - Epictetus. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" - Unknown though often attributed to Aurelius. I lack clear evidence for that. "What stands in the way becomes the way" - Aurelius. AKA Be flexible enough to alter or abandon plans as life throws curveballs. "Obsessively being full of hatred for your enemies, is like you drinking poison then expecting them to die" - Anon attributed to various from Buddhism to Maya Angelou. "Be water" - Bruce Lee. "Never overly rely on anybody, for even your own shadow will leave you entirely in total darkness" - Ibn Taymiyyah
@@AnyoneCanSee Absolutely. I've a variety of playlists for psychology and mental health and philosophy. I like the Stoic app and also Zen Enso too. People WITHOUT serious mental health conditions, I highly, highly recommend Mark Manson. For those who do, you'd be better off focusing on the channels mostly based on content by actual medical professionals.
@@AnyoneCanSee I am a student of sample culture and poetry. And as such, I love that quote and have remixed it for myself. "Perfect is the enemy of good. Good enough is the enemy of Better. Perfection is imperfection." - The Ghost of Voltaire?
I have read ‘The Story of Civilisation’ by Will and Arial Durant, all 11 volumes, 6 times. It is my favourite book series. It really is amazing. Vol. 9 The Age of Voltaire one of the best.
Usually I listen to this channel with idle curiosity. This is the first episode to make me want to seek out more info on the subject. Someone who gains popularity for their biting wit and is cut off by friends for the same? Extremely relatable.
Though I've read more of and more about Voltaire since, it Candide that struck me like a thuderbolt when first encountered many, many years ago. The basic thrust of the book still informs what has probably remained my core philosophy to this day, despite having found much to admire elsewhere and not always of the same political, spiritual or even objective bent. (Indeed I will forever be grateful to have taken both philosophy and great books courses while at college - I wish we encouraged this more today.)
Voltaire's ERB raps; "And I'm a free thinker, so confronting conformists like you, it's my job. I have a sharp wit like a spit that'll skewer you like a Confu-shishka bob. Oh, you flubbed the mission, I'm beating your submissive ass into submission, dishing out more disses than letters and pamphlets and plays I've been publishing." To Socrates; "Sacre bleu Socrates, you're making things a little tense. Come, let's blind these chinese heinies with some shiny bright enlightenment. Let me be frank, don't start beef with the Frank who hangs with B. Frank giving ladies beef franks." Now some of these references make much more sense.
Voltaire actually misunderstood Leibniz “best possible world” argument. Voltaire was responding as if the argument was we are in the best possible world right now; for example, he’d say things like a tragedy not-happening is obviously better than a tragedy happening. But Leibniz’ argument was that everything that happens is necessary to achieve the best possible world. It all leads up to it, but we are not now living in it.
No, he understood that. He just thought it was, at best, an ex post facto defense of God that had nothing to do with reality. See also: Pangloss explaining that humans have noses so that we can wear glasses.
Voltaire was smart enough to willfully misrepresent Leibniz’s argument. He understood that part of it. Leibniz held (paraphrase) that the universe exists as a sort of physical reflection of its Creator, a manifestation of His work. The universe is perfect, because its Creator is perfect. As part of that perfection, the universe is continuously perfecting itself. If it sounds confusing and/or tautological, that is probably my fault for mangling it. One might ask, “How can something be both perfect and perfecting itself?” Another might respond, “How can it be otherwise?” It must be the best of all possible worlds, else the perfect Creator would have chosen the better one. That probably sums it up as pithily as possible. Only at the very end of _Candide_ does Voltaire finally address the question of free will. The very end. As in… the final three words are, “But, free will…” and that’s the end of the book. It read like it was written by a modern mediocre late-night comic, with little of substance to contribute to the discussion. While at Geneva, Voltaire would become close with the de Gallatin family, including the cousin of Aaron Burr, Albert Gallatin, who became President Jefferson’s Treasury Secretary after hiding away in what is now Maine during the American Revolution. Ah, the Enlightenment. How… reactionary. Great post, sir.
DeGaulle likely did not mean that Voltaire was never arrested, but rather referred to Sartre as being 'a Voltaire' and therefore should not be arrested. Also, in french "arrest" is "arreter" which means also to stop, so DeGaulle could have been using a double meaning of you don't arrest a Voltaire and also you cannot stop the likes of Voltaire. That's just my interpretation.
I discovered Voltaire fifty years ago reading Candide, a desperately flippant attitude about life and misfortune! However it's also indirectly critical of leadership and the church! All his works certainly added to the fall of the monarchy! "I died adoring God!" Not the church!
Starting this video, I was thinking, "who the f*** IS this guy? WHY are of all things SHIPS named after a poet?!" The awnser? A badass. Voltaire was a badass. And now easily one of my top ten favorite historical figures ever.
Great job! I always wondered what a Voltaire vid would be like! Now that that’s checked off the list, if I may make a request: Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy(Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso)? Perhaps you could draw parallels to Dante’s life through the Divine Comedy? Please and thanks!
Leibnitz ("best of all possible worlds") was Voltaire's (and Johnson's) punching bag. I admire Voltaire's way of living, housemates with the most beautiful and intellectual courtesans of his day, conducting scientific experiments with them, and pursuing the life of a libertine AND a free-thinker.
I heard masses were assembled to greet him when he returned to Paris after an exile. He was approached by a priest and told, 'I have been sent by God to receive your confession'. Voltaire's response was, 'Excellent. Your credentials please...'.
Finally! I had been hoping for a Voltaire video for some time. I'm very glad you guys brought one out, and you did it well. Maybe you could also do an extended version? A lot of fascinating aspects of Voltaire weren't covered, which is expected, considering what a lengthy life he had.
Thank you Mr. Simon, I vaguely remember learning a little bit about Voltaire back in middle or high school, and I am thankful that I have been watching your content for now (on most of your channels), and I am thankful that you did a great deep dive on Voltaire
Mozart upon hearing the news that Voltaire had died: “I must give you a piece of intelligence that you perhaps already know - namely, that the ungodly arch-villain Voltaire has died miserably like a dog - just like a brute. That is his reward!” 😂😂😂
13:43 Doc Sloan does a reading of this charming tale on his channel. The shorter of the two is the kid safe version so listen to the longer of the two for the unabridged version.
Could you maybe do a Biographics about Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President? I know it's probably gonna be a controversial topic, but since we already got videos about most other main figures of the American Civil War (Lincoln, Grant, Lee...), it would fit in quite well...
I thought there'd be some mention of the legal cases Voltaire helped with like when a young depressed man took his own life but the lawyer was trying to argue that the father had killed his son because the son wanted to become a Catholic, but that was probably because Robert Green Ingersoll talked alot about them in his lectures. That's a guy you could do a video on.
I think we need a biographics about Louis X of France. He was such a fascinating man who seemed to want way more modern morals (except for his affairs) to be the law in France and is the reason Slavery in France itself was pretty much outlawed in the early 1300s amid many other reforms that led to him getting the nickname "The Quarrelsome". I just stumbled upon him when I was curious about why Slavery was outlawed before the 1700s in mainland France. It dates back to when he decided to make sure every serf's freedom was paid for one way or another because he found even that level of oppression to be abominable. He also let the Jews return to their homes in France where they had been exiled from for 9 years. Just those two facts alone are fascinating and I want to know how he did fiscal and centralizion reforms even if some of them were overturned. Sadly the only video on him is in French and I don't speak French.
"we do not pray to him at all said the reverend sage we have nothing to ask of him he has given us all and we give him thanks incessantly" put the entire quote 😠
Wasn't Voltaire's version of the Joan of Arc story called "La Pucelle" which is slang/familiar term for a virgin and a word meaning a very young woman/teenager? that would make more sense because I'm not sure La Purcelle has any meaning.
This period was called the régence period, which last between 1715-1723, in which Philippe ll, Duke of Orléans served as prince regent during this period
I'm dissapointed with the glancing mention of his relationship with Emilie du Chatelet. She was an incredible woman and deeply talented mathematician and she greatly influenced him. Please do a full biographics episode on her, you'll be amazed. And for anyone who reads this comment please read the book "Passionate Minds" by David Bodanis, which is a biography of her and Voltaire's relationship.
Absolutely agree, she's such an impressive figure who depressingly few people know about. If anyone reading this wants a good overview of her on RU-vid, I recommend Wes Cecil's "Forgotten Thinkers" episode on her.
Why dont u do videos on brands and the history of them. Maybe a bit dodgy with legal stuff but would be good like ford motors or mcdonalds or pepsi etc
Can we have a vid on John Stuart Mills please because both Marxists and Conservatives have no idea what real, workable, reformist socialism is. It's extra funny when it's British people saying it doesn't work and never can. As we live in the Social Democracy constructed between: Historic Liberal Party, Beveridge Report 1942, Attlee launching the NHS and Welfare State, then Churchill expanding it from 1951. Alternatively one on Gladstone might be great, and also extremely amusing just for one quote in particular. William E Gladstone: Men are apt to mistake their strength of their feeling, for the the strength of their argument. The heated mind resists the chill touch and relentless scrutiny of logic.
"Reflect upon the Past. Embrace your Present. Orchestrate our Futures." --Artemis 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind’s journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul’s fate revealed. In time, all points converge, hope’s strength re-steeled. But to earn final peace at the universe’s endless refrain, We must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (series)
That quote should be on the us democratic party headquarters. Edit: I know now why Simon splits famous quotes into several slides. That quote instantly got me fact checked for some neo bad guy stuff. Thanks internet you've ruined history again.
