Voltaire: A Critical Biography

What it is

This is a biography of Voltaire written by John Morley and published in London in 1886. It discusses Voltaire's works, their editions, and his place in French intellectual history.

Why it matters

Written over a century after Voltaire's death, this book shows how a later Victorian scholar interpreted Voltaire's role in the Enlightenment and the Catholic, Calvinist and Renaissance currents he engaged with. It reflects how Voltaire's reputation and writings continued to be studied and debated long after his lifetime.

• Why might a Victorian writer in 1886 still find Voltaire important enough to study closely?
• What biases might a 19th-century English biographer bring to a French 18th-century subject?
• How does a critical biography differ from Voltaire's own writing in what it tells us?