Analysis Of François-Marie Arouet By Voltaire

Often times, within a certain community, nation, or society, there is a strong human tendency to believe that one’s own culture or way of life is normal, natural, and therefore superior to the beliefs and principles of others. This sociological concept, called “ethnocentrism,” has been present throughout human existence and has caused both growth within and conflict between various groups of people. It has also caused reflection and reevaluation of one’s own culture based on interaction and experiences with another. This was the case for French Enlightenment philosopher, François-Marie Arouet, known by his pseudonym, Voltaire. Not unlike his fellow theorists, Voltaire sought to examine various aspects of the world around him with the goal …show more content…
Voltaire asserts that England has “this wise system of government in which the prince, all-powerful for doing good, has his hands tied for doing evil, in which the aristocrats are great without arrogance and vassals, and in which the people share in the government without confusion” (45). This statement describes the English government system, a constitutional monarchy, which consists of a monarch, Parliament, and the people. This governing structure, that Voltaire deemed “wise,” limits the power of the monarch by distributing power to the Parliament to make laws and rules for the people. In the same sense that Voltaire was in favor of England’s more structured governing system, he admired their methodic judiciary system. He compares the trial of Charles I in England to the malicious deaths of Emperor Henry VII, Henri III, and Henri IV. Voltaire favors England’s more structured approach in which an offender is defeated, taken prisoner, tried, and condemned instead of France’s past solutions involving poison, murder, and assassination plots. He also comments on the English taxation system. He highlights the impartiality by stating that “a man is by no means exempt from paying certain taxes here simply because he is a noble or because he is a priest” (50). This differs greatly from taxation in France, where the nobles, who had arguably much more wealth, were exempted from taxes, thereby increasing taxes on the peasants and farmers. Voltaire praises England’s stance where no one is made to pay more money because their rank in society. He says, “the peasant’s feet are not bruised by sabots, he eats white bread, he is well dressed…” (50). Through these fixed taxes for all classes, Voltaire observes that even the farmers are able to live in contentment whereas, in France, the increasing taxes on the lower class and