The Philosophy Club: Voltaire
Summary
This episode explores the complex life of Enlightenment thinker Voltaire, examining his deist beliefs, libertine lifestyle, and controversial legacy. The hosts discuss his time in the Bastille, his exile to England, and his relationship with mistress Émilie Châtelet. They analyze his poem "The Man of the World," which celebrates modern material abundance over primitive pasts, and feature a musical adaptation of the verse.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Voltaire's life vs. his literary legacy
Sponsor segments: Only If You Get Caught, AG1, and Gusto
Voltaire as an Enlightenment thinker and critic of the church
Complexities of Voltaire's views: Deism and anti-Semitism
Voltaire's health, hypochondria, and contested biography
The Society du Temple and Epicurean philosophy
Circulating manuscripts and managing celebrity in 18th-century France
Voltaire's wealth, business ventures, and the slavery controversy
Jesuit education, libertinism, and the hypocrisy of the clergy
Exile, the Duke of Orléans, and imprisonment in the Bastille
Sponsor segments: BILT, Macy's, and Real Style
Theories on the origin of the name Voltaire
The beating, revenge, and move to England
Letters Concerning the English Nation and English freedoms
Relationship with Émilie du Châtelet and Frederick the Great
Analysis of the poem 'The Man of the World'
Musical adaptation of 'The Man of the World' by Avery Friedman
Outro and subscription information
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