Mug Voltaire

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Voltaire

"Voltaire, a master of wit and reason, fought tyranny with satire, championed free speech, and was exiled, imprisoned, but never silenced."

Contemporaries Like Voltaire

If you're looking for contemporary intellectuals who embody the spirit of Voltaire, you’re likely looking for people who embrace and champion some of his core values, such as:

  • Freedom of speech and expression
  • Religious tolerance and secularism
  • Critique of dogma and authority
  • Rationalism and skepticism
  • Human rights and social justice

Here are some contemporary thinkers, writers, and public intellectuals who could be seen as carrying on Voltaire’s legacy in modern times:

1. Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011)

"What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence".

  • Role: Journalist, essayist, public intellectual
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Hitchens was known for his fearless critique of religion and defense of free speech. Like Voltaire, he had no patience for dogma, especially religious dogma, and he exposed hypocrisy in political and religious figures with sharp wit and biting criticism. His book "God Is Not Great" takes on the same anti-clerical spirit that Voltaire had in works like "Candide" and his critiques of the Catholic Church.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Religious tolerance (or secular critique), free speech, and anti-dogmatism.
  • Notable Works: God Is Not Great, Letters to a Young Contrarian, Arguably.

2. Salman Rushdie (1947–)

  • Role: Novelist, essayist, free speech advocate
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Rushdie is a champion of free speech and an outspoken critic of censorship and religious fundamentalism. His novel "The Satanic Verses" provoked outrage in some religious communities, leading to death threats and a fatwa against him. Rushdie's commitment to the right to offend and his stance on artistic and intellectual freedom echo Voltaire's defense of controversial writers and thinkers of his own time.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Defense of free speech, opposition to religious dogma, and literary wit.
  • Notable Works: The Satanic Verses, Midnight's Children, Joseph Anton: A Memoir.

3. Noam Chomsky (1928–)

  • Role: Linguist, philosopher, social critic, activist
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Chomsky's critiques of state power, corporate media, and imperialism are in line with Voltaire's relentless criticism of tyranny and oppression. While Voltaire was critical of monarchy and the Church, Chomsky critiques modern power structures like corporations and state-sponsored violence. His commitment to speaking truth to power echoes Voltaire's defense of free thought.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Critique of power, defense of free speech, and rational discourse.
  • Notable Works: Manufacturing Consent, Hegemony or Survival, On Anarchism.

4. Richard Dawkins (1941–)

  • Role: Biologist, public intellectual, advocate of secularism
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Dawkins is a relentless critic of religious dogma and scientific ignorance, much like Voltaire. His book "The God Delusion" takes direct aim at religion in a style reminiscent of Voltaire's satirical and polemical approach to the Catholic Church. Dawkins also promotes the use of rational inquiry and science to explain the world, echoing Voltaire's Enlightenment values.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Skepticism of religion, advocacy for rational thought, and human progress through reason.
  • Notable Works: The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion, Outgrowing God.

5. Margaret Atwood (1939–)

  • Role: Novelist, essayist, social critic
  • Why She Embodies Voltaire: Satire, social critique, and the exposure of tyranny are hallmarks of Atwood’s work, especially her most famous novel, "The Handmaid’s Tale", which examines the subjugation of women under theocratic rule. Her sharp, satirical critique of authoritarianism and her reflections on the role of free will and human rights place her firmly in the Voltairean tradition.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Critique of tyranny, social justice, and satire.
  • Notable Works: The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake, The Testaments.

6. Bernard-Henri Lévy (1948–)

  • Role: French philosopher, essayist, public intellectual
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: As a public philosopher and human rights advocate, Lévy has tackled the abuses of tyrants and the role of human rights in the modern world. Much like Voltaire, Lévy believes in the power of intellectuals to influence politics. He has been critical of nationalism, anti-Semitism, and authoritarianism, all themes that Voltaire addressed in his works.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Critique of power, defense of human rights, and internationalism.
  • Notable Works: The Virus in the Age of Madness, Left in Dark Times.

7. Ai Weiwei (1957–)

  • Role: Chinese artist, dissident, activist
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Ai Weiwei's critique of tyranny and state power aligns closely with Voltaire’s critiques of monarchy and Church power. His fearless use of art as dissent and his focus on human rights place him squarely in the Voltairean tradition. By using satire, subversive art, and direct criticism of the Chinese government, Ai Weiwei channels Voltaire’s opposition to censorship and authority.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Critique of tyranny, censorship, and use of art as political resistance.
  • Notable Works: His art installations and films like Human Flow expose the suffering of refugees and marginalized communities.

8. Steven Pinker (1954–)

  • Role: Cognitive psychologist, public intellectual, science communicator
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Pinker defends the idea of human progress through reason and Enlightenment values, a central idea of Voltaire’s philosophy. His book "Enlightenment Now" explicitly aligns itself with the spirit of Voltaire by defending reason, science, and human progress. Pinker critiques the belief that the world is in decline, arguing that rational thought and human ingenuity have made the world better.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Enlightenment principles, rationality, and optimism about human progress.
  • Notable Works: Enlightenment Now, The Better Angels of Our Nature.

9. Yuval Noah Harari (1976–)

  • Role: Historian, philosopher, public intellectual
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Like Voltaire, Harari tackles the big questions of human nature and the future of society. His book "Sapiens" offers a sweeping critique of human history, myth, and belief systems. His work questions the role of religion, challenges traditional narratives, and discusses the threats posed by technology, much like Voltaire questioned the institutions of his day.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Rational analysis of history, critique of belief systems, and skepticism of human authority.
  • Notable Works: Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

10. Ta-Nehisi Coates (1975–)

  • Role: Journalist, author, social critic
  • Why He Embodies Voltaire: Coates challenges institutional power, racism, and historical injustice, much like Voltaire exposed the Church and monarchy. His book "Between the World and Me" confronts the systemic nature of racism in the U.S. and calls for an awakening of consciousness, echoing Voltaire's challenge to French society’s treatment of marginalized groups.
  • Core Voltairean Values: Critique of systemic oppression, challenge to entrenched power, and moral courage.
  • Notable Works: Between the World and Me, The Water Dancer.

Conclusion

If Voltaire were alive today, he might see himself in figures like Christopher Hitchens (rational critique of religion), Salman Rushdie (defender of free speech), and Ai Weiwei (dissident artist). These figures embody the fearless critique of tyranny, dogma, and censorship that Voltaire championed during the Enlightenment. Their commitment to reason, justice, and humanity carries forward his legacy.

Synopses

Here are brief, Voltaire-like descriptions for each of the ten contemporary intellectuals mentioned earlier:

1. Christopher Hitchens "Hitchens wielded wit like a blade, eviscerating religion, power, and hypocrisy until cancer claimed him—but his words remain immortal."

2. Salman Rushdie "Rushdie dared to write the unspeakable, survived a fatwa, and became a living symbol of defiance against religious extremism."

3. Noam Chomsky "Chomsky dismantles empires with logic, exposing media propaganda and the quiet violence of state power, all in a monotone voice."

4. Richard Dawkins "Dawkins turned science into scripture, debunked divine delusion, and made 'meme' a household word long before the internet did."

5. Margaret Atwood "Atwood wove dystopian prophecy into fiction, warning us of tyranny’s quiet return—and watched the world prove her right."

6. Bernard-Henri Lévy "Lévy storms battlefields with a philosopher's pen, denouncing tyranny in designer suits while infuriating allies and enemies alike."

7. Ai Weiwei "Ai Weiwei built art from rebellion, defying Chinese censors with subversive sculptures and selfies from secret police custody."

8. Steven Pinker "Pinker declared that progress is real, argued that reason can save us, and got mocked on Twitter for his faith in humanity's better angels."

9. Yuval Noah Harari "Harari distilled 100,000 years of human folly into Sapiens, then warned that algorithms might soon outthink us all."

10. Ta-Nehisi Coates "Coates gave voice to the legacy of racial injustice, wrote a letter to America, and forced a reckoning with history’s unpaid debts."

These short descriptions capture the essence of each thinker’s contributions, controversies, and provocations, much like a modern-day Voltaire would.

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