Voltaire's Treatise on Toleration

A primary figure and satirist of the Enlightenment, François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire (1694–1778), entered the literary world as a playwright.   He quickly became renowned for his literary style which usually involved wits and satire, which constantly led him in and out of prison and other various predicaments. Voltaire’s treatise on toleration Defended the individual right to practice religion without fear of persecution.

In Voltaire’s  treatise on toleration, he  describes how religious fanaticism, dogmas  and superstitious beliefs prevails over reason, which in turn gives rise to religious intolerance, as only reason will make us discover the unity of  our humanity  above religious superstitions and fanaticisms. Reason also makes us to recognise that individuals possess the right to religious worship as they deemed fit. These arguments as postulated by Voltaire was triggered by the killing of an innocent man by name Jean Calas, who been a victim of religious prejudice, was executed wrongly for killing his own son.  Voltaire also described how religious intolerance and prejudice also pervaded the justice system as fanatics and religious cult groups infiltrated the court and processes of law.  Hence, Voltaire’s treatise more than highlighting the right every man has to freedom of worship also exposes injustice as a violation of human freedom.

The Calas case portrays how religious prejudice and fanaticism can make the eyes of reasoning go blind, the resultant effect been misunderstandings and misinterpretations and people not setting a dichotomy between religion and individual human beings. This misunderstandings and misinterpretations in turn fuel religious crisis and victimization of adherents of the other faiths and the inability to tolerate peoples of other faith. Voltaire admits that religious intolerance, discrimination and victimization as a result of religion are the case when reason is trampled upon. Expressing his disgust over the prevailing circumstances of his time, he states that, “in an age when philosophy has made so much progress and a hundred academics are writing for the improvement of our morals, it would seem that fanaticism is angry at the success of reason and combats it more furiously” Voltaire (1912:14). Religion beclouded the reason and minds of the custodians of law as the innocent man was eventually executed upon an unfair trial. To put it candidly, Faith and reason makes us more human, faith without reason leaves us blind to humanity and plunges the human race into chaos. Religious tolerance therefore involves religion or faith with a humane perspective.

The Calas case is a typical description of what prevails when religious fanaticism beclouds reasoning, leaving the human being insensible to humanity and every bit of humaneness because, what connects his being to the outer world and the rest of the human race which is reason has in the first place been trampled upon by religious fanaticism. The result being religious intolerance, hatred  for, persecution and victimization of people of other faiths which  putting  it  in  modern  human  rights  parlance is a violation of  their right to freedom of  worship. Voltaire’s work is significant because he tries to make a philosophical inquiry into the causes, effects and roots of religious intolerance which unfortunately is one of the most consistent catalysts of human rights violation. The evidence of the violation of this crucial and sensitive right is the countless mass graves, beheadings, abductions, terrorists’ activities, destruction and loss of properties, hatred and separation and undisputedly poverty that has sprung up in various corners of the world engendering even the human race.

Bewildered and shocked by this barbaric act (the execution of Jean Calas),Voltaire proceeded to a philosophical inquiry to inquire whether religion ought to be charitable or barbaric. In doing this he weighs religion on  the  scales of reason,  he  therefore  suggested  that  the antidote to violations of  freedom  of  worship  is  reason  and  human centred  principles. “philosophy the sister of  religion has disarmed the hands that superstition has so long stained with blood, and the human mind awakening from its intoxication is amazed at the excesses into which fanaticism has led it”  Voltaire (1912:21). Voltaire promotes the view that humane principles should prevail over dogmas. “The rage that is inspired by the dogmatic spirit and the abuse of the Christian religion wrongly conceived, has shed as much blood and led to as many disasters  in  Germany,  England  and  even  Holland as in France” Voltaire (1912:20). In effect religious crisis, intolerance and the discrimination or violation of the freedom of worship that accompanies it only prevails where there is a misconception.

To argue the case for tolerance Voltaire applies natural and human law. He described natural law as that indicated to men by nature and human law is in every case based on natural law.  He therefore used the principle of natural law or human law to quench or extinguish the flames sparked up by religious intolerance and fanaticism. According to Voltaire, principles of universal ism can be identified in many different religions and cultures from around the world, and a great principle of natural law which guards against intolerance and guarantees freedom of conscience should be reflected in human law.  “All over the earth the great principle is; do unto others what you would that they do not unto you.  Now in virtue of this principle, one man cannot say to another ‘believe what I believe and what thou canst not believe, or thou shalt perish” Voltaire (1912:25). This principle therefore sets the philosophical basis for the establishment and respect for the right to freedom of worship.  And for those who argue that people do possess the right to be intolerant of other peoples religion and to deprive them of their own right to religion, Voltaire describes this as ‘absurd and barbaric’.