Voltaire and Metaphysics

Ian W. Alexander

doi:10.1017/S0031819100004447

Voltaire and Metaphysics

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2009

Ian W. Alexander

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It is too often assumed that Voltaire is uninterested in metaphysics and that his whole attitude is inimical to such studies. This assumption is of course largely dependent on the definition of the term metaphysics. To modern minds metaphysics tends to imply knowledge of the absolute obtained by some direct intuition of reality, and to the Bergsonian definition of metaphysics as the science which claims to dispense with symbols the present writer would largely subscribe. Given this modern definition of metaphysics, which is also the Kantian one, as a special mode of knowledge, it is an undoubted fact that Voltaire is not in this sense a metaphysical mind; the appeal to any peculiar or specifically a priori mode of thought was, of course, incompatible with his empiricism.

Type: Articles
Information: Philosophy , Volume 19 , Issue 72 , April 1944 , pp. 19 - 48

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100004447 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 1944

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^{page 19 note 1} “La métaphysique est … la science qui prétend se passer de symboles.” Bergson, , Introduction à la métaphysique, Revue de Métaphysique, 1903, p. 4Google Scholar.

^{page 19 note 2} Cf. Faguet, Emile: “Nie-t-il toute métaphysique et est-il un pur agnostique, ou ne l'est-il que jusqu'à un certain point, c'est-à-dire est-il encore méta-physicien?” Dix-huitième siècle, p. 202Google Scholar.

^{page 19 note 3} Cf. Dunan, Charles: “La métaphysique … doit se définir une conception de quelque chose dans laquelle entre, avec plus ou moins de clarté ou de distinction, une conception de toutes choses.” Essais de philosophie générale, 1902, pp. 436–7Google Scholar.

^{page 19 note 4} Textbook of Psychology, Epilogue, p. 461Google Scholar.

^{page 20 note 1} Le Philosophe ignorant, Œuvres complètes (Kehl), 1784, vol. xxxii, p. 82Google Scholar.

^{page 21 note 1} The last two works were composed in 1738 and 1739 respectively.

^{page 21 note 2} 1756 and 1759.

^{page 21 note 3} Written in 1766, 1772, and 1769 respectively. Cf. Bengesco, G., Voltaire. Bibliographie de ses æuvres, Paris, 1882–1890, 4 volGoogle Scholar.

^{page 23 note 1} Eléments de philosophie de Newton, xxxi, p. 26Google Scholar.

^{page 23 note 2} Ibid.

^{page 23 note 3} Ibid.

^{page 23 note 4} Défense du Newtonianisme, xxxi, p. 247Google Scholar.

^{page 23 note 5} Eléments, p. 26Google Scholar.

^{page 24 note 1} Defensé p. 256Google Scholar.

^{page 24 note 2} Eléments, pp. 26–7Google Scholar.

^{page 24 note 3} Traité de Métaphysique, xxxii, p. 22Google Scholar.

^{page 25 note 1} Traité de Méaphysique, xxxii, p. 20Google Scholar.

^{page 25 note 2} Ibid.

^{page 25 note 3} Ibid., p. 21.

^{page 25 note 4} Ibid.

^{page 25 note 5} Monadology, sects. 36, 37.

^{page 26 note 1} Traité, p. 21Google Scholar.

^{page 26 note 2} Ibid., p. 22.

^{page 26 note 3} Eléments, pp. 27–8.

^{page 26 note 4} Traité, p. 32Google Scholar.

^{page 26 note 5} Ibid., p. 22.

^{page 27 note 1} Traité, p. 24Google Scholar.

^{page 27 note 2} Ibid., p. 29.

^{page 27 note 3} Ibid., p. 32.

^{page 27 note 4} Ibid., p. 22.

^{page 27 note 5} Eléments, p. 30Google Scholar.

^{page 27 note 6} Ibid., p. 31, cf. Leibnitz, , Theodicy, sect. 13Google Scholar.

^{page 27 note 7} Traité, pp. 30–1Google Scholar.

^{page 28 note 1} Traité, p. 23Google Scholar.

^{page 28 note 2} Ibid., pp. 23–4.

^{page 28 note 3} Ibid., p. 29.

^{page 28 note 4} Eléments, p. 36Google Scholar.

^{page 29 note 1} Traité, p. 57Google Scholar.

^{page 29 note 2} Ibid.

^{page 29 note 3} Eléments, p. 39Google Scholar.

^{page 29 note 4} Ibid, p. 39.

^{page 29 note 5} Ibid., p. 40.

^{page 30 note 1} Traité, pp. 55–6Google Scholar.

^{page 30 note 2} Ibid., p. 57.

^{page 30 note 3} Ibid., p. 57.

^{page 30 note 4} Ibid., p. 59.

^{page 30 note 5} Ibid., p. 59.

^{page 30 note 6} Ibid., pp. 60–1.

^{page 31 note 1} Traité, p. 61Google Scholar.

^{page 31 note 2} Eléments, p. 44Google Scholar.

^{page 31 note 3} Traité, p. 62Google Scholar.

^{page 31 note 4} Eléments, p. 44Google Scholar.

^{page 31 note 5} Ibid., p. 49.

^{page 31 note 6} Ibid., p. 45.

^{page 32 note 1} Eléments, p. 58Google Scholar.

^{page 32 note 2} Traité, p. 49Google Scholar.

^{page 32 note 3} Eléments, p. 60Google Scholar.

^{page 32 note 4} Ibid., p. 62.

^{page 32 note 5} Ibid., p. 74.

^{page 33 note 1} Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne, xii, pp. 119–20Google Scholar.

^{page 34 note 1} Poèm sur de désastre de Lisbonne, xii, p. 126Google Scholar, note (a).

^{page 34 note 2} Le Philosophe ignorant, xxxii, p. 82Google Scholar.

^{page 34 note 3} Cf. Pellissier, G., Voltaire Philosophe, 1908Google Scholar.

^{page 35 note 1} Il faut prendre un parti, xxxii, p. 178Google Scholar.

^{page 35 note 2} Le Philosophe ignorant, pp. 94–5Google Scholar.

^{page 35 note 3} Il faut prendre, p. 163Google Scholar.

^{page 35 note 4} Tout en Dieu, xxxii, pp. 217–18Google Scholar.

^{page 36 note 1} Ibid., p. 218, cf. II faut prendre, pp. 163–4.

^{page 36 note 2} Ibid., p. 218.

^{page 36 note 3} Traité, p. 22Google Scholar.

^{page 36 note 4} Dictionnaire Philosophique, xli, article Infini.

^{page 36 note 5} Ibid. The text of the Dictionnaire Philosophique quoted is that of the Harbeth edition of the Oeuvres Complètes (1859). References are, however, given to the Kehl edition.

^{page 37 note 1} Le Philosophe ignorant, p. 99Google Scholar.

^{page 37 note 2} Il faut prendre, pp. 161–2Google Scholar, cf. Le Philosophe ignorant, p. 99Google Scholar.

^{page 38 note 1} Il faut prendre, p. 165Google Scholar.

^{page 38 note 2} Article Infini.

^{page 38 note 3} Ibid.

^{page 39 note 1} Le Philosophe ignorant, p. 110Google Scholar.

^{page 39 note 2} Ibid., p. 95.

^{page 39 note 3} Ibid., pp. 104–5.

^{page 39 note 4} Cf. Carré, J.-R., Consistence de Voltaire le philosophe, 1938, p. 68Google Scholar.

^{page 40 note 1} Il faut prendre, p. 157Google Scholar.

^{page 40 note 2} Tout en Dieu, p. 219Google Scholar.

^{page 40 note 3} Article Chaine des événements, xxxviii.

^{page 41 note 1} Le Philosophe ignorant, p. 97Google Scholar, cf. article Causes finales, xxxviii.

^{page 41 note 2} Ibid., p. 101.

^{page 41 note 3} Article Nature, xlii.

^{page 41 note 4} Tout en Dieu, p. 223Google Scholar.

^{page 41 note 5} Ibid.

^{page 42 note 1} Il faut prendre, pp. 201–2Google Scholar.

^{page 42 note 2} Lévy-Bruhl, L., History of modern philosophy in France, 1899, p. 186Google Scholar.

^{page 42 note 3} Tout en Dieu, p. 224Google Scholar.

^{page 43 note 1} Tout en Dieu, p. 210Google Scholar.

^{page 43 note 2} Ibid., p. 211.

^{page 43 note 3} Ibid., p. 212.

^{page 43 note 4} Ibid., pp. 214–15.

^{page 43 note 5} Ibid., p. 215.

^{page 44 note 1} Tout en Dieu, p. 222Google Scholar.

^{page 44 note 2} Ibid., p. 218.

^{page 44 note 3} Ibid., p. 219.

^{page 44 note 4} Ibid., p. 218.

^{page 45 note 1} Tout en Dieu, p. 217Google Scholar.

^{page 45 note 2} Il faut prendre, p. 163Google Scholar.

^{page 45 note 3} Tout en Dieu, pp. 209–10Google Scholar.

^{page 45 note 4} Ibid., p. 209.

^{page 45 note 5} Le Philosophe ignorant, p. 103Google Scholar.

^{page 46 note 1} Tout en Dieu, p. 216Google Scholar.

^{page 46 note 2} Ibid., pp. 216–17.

^{page 47 note 1} Il faut prendre, pp. 173–5Google Scholar.

^{page 47 note 2} Cf. article Certain, Certitude, xxxviii.

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