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Letters on the English

Voltaire · 1734

Voltaire's 1734 collection of essays on English society and thought, including a letter praising John Locke's philosophy.

Voltaire's letters helped spread Locke's reputation as a philosopher across Enlightenment Europe.

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Title page of a book in French reading 'Lettres Ecrites de Londres sur les Anglois et autres sujets, Par M. D. V***, A Basle, MDCCXXXIV', with a decorative ornament below the title. Cream-colored, slightly aged paper; faint text from another page shows through.
Voltaire, Lettres philosophiques (Letters on the English), 1734.

About this source

What it is

This is a series of essays by Voltaire, based on his time living in Great Britain, first published in English in 1733 and in French in 1734. One of its twenty-four letters, Letter XIII, is devoted to Locke.

Why it matters

Voltaire's praise of Locke helped spread his reputation and ideas across Enlightenment Europe, especially in France, where the book was seen as critical of the French system of government and was quickly suppressed. It shows how English thinkers like Locke and Newton were admired abroad as models of free inquiry.

Look closer

  • Why might Voltaire, a Frenchman, want to write admiringly about England and its thinkers?
  • What does it suggest about the political climate that this book was suppressed in France?
  • How might comparing one's own country unfavorably to another shape readers' opinions?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Locke, Voltaire and Isaac Newton on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Sepia-toned mezzotint portrait of a man with long wavy hair, wearing a loose coat and open collar, turning slightly to his left within an oval frame of foliage. A cartouche at the bottom reads 'John Locke Esq.' with inscriptions in the lower corners.Painting

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Title page of A Letter Concerning Toleration. Large capitals read 'A LETTER', then 'CONCERNING', then 'Toleration: Humbly Submitted, &c.' Below: 'LICENSED, October 3, 1689', then 'LONDON, Printed for Awnsham Churchill, at the Black Swan at Amen-Corner. 1689.' Faint reprint copyright text in background.Letter

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Engraved oval portrait of a man with long wavy hair, wearing a loose dark gown over a white collared shirt, set in an ornate oval frame atop a pedestal bearing a coat of arms. Inscription below reads 'Effigies Iohannis Locke' with a Latin line beneath, plus artist credits 'G. Kneller Equ. pinxit 1697' and 'Geo. Vertue Sculp. 1722'.Painting

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