Voltaire

Voltaire was an 18th-century philosopher known for advocating freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and civil liberties. He challenged established authority and questioned the optimism of his time, especially following disasters, promoting the idea that human suffering could not always be justified as "for the best." His theodicy argued against blind faith in a benevolent God by emphasizing human reason and secular thought. Voltaire's critique of organized religion and support for individual rights laid foundational ideas for liberalism and modern secularism, emphasizing that a just society should protect freedom and reason as central tenets of human dignity and progress.