Voltaire's Portrayal of the Reformation in his Essai sur les moeurs

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this dissertation is to study Voltaire's portrayal of the Reformation in his Essai sur les moeurs. The p articular aim is to determine the degree of understanding that Voltaire shows in dealing not only with the nature of the theological reforms themselves, but also with the many and varied influences these theological reforms exerted upon society in sixteenth-century Europe. A few general observations will be made on Voltaire's concept of history and of historiography as it is revealed in his account of the Reformation.</p>