Voltaire (1694-1778) - The pen name of Francois Marie Arouet, a French
author and leader of the enlightenment movement. One of the most renowned
men in the history of thought, he gained fame as a defender of the poor and
religiously persecuted and as a master of dramatic satire.
Candide (1759) - A satire of 18th Century life and thought, Candide was
Voltaire's most popular work. It directly satirizes the philosophical
optimism of Alexander Pope and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
