Primary sourceBook1747
Zadig or Destiny
Voltaire · 1747
Voltaire's 1747 philosophical tale about a wise man in ancient Babylon, exploring fate, justice and reason, and one of his most celebrated contes.
Voltaire wrote this philosophical tale, one of his earliest and most celebrated contes exploring reason and providence.
About this source
What it is
Zadig; or, The Book of Fate is a novella written by Voltaire, first published in 1747 (under the title Memnon) and reissued under its familiar title in 1748. It follows Zadig, a philosopher in ancient Babylonia, through a series of reversals of fortune.
Why it matters
The tale questions religious and philosophical certainty, presenting human life as shaped by forces beyond human control while challenging accepted ideas about providence and justice. It was one of Voltaire's first philosophical contes, a genre he would use throughout his career, and it shows his method of using an exotic setting to comment indirectly on his own society.
Look closer
- Why might Voltaire have set his story in ancient Babylon rather than in France?
- What does Zadig's shifting fortune suggest about the story's view of justice and fate?
- How might disguising criticism of religion and government as an 'Oriental tale' have protected Voltaire from censorship?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Voltaire on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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