Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment

By: Alan Charles Kors, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Alan Charles Kors

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Discover why intellectuals and historians alike consider Voltaire to be one of the most intriguing, influential, and elusive thinkers of the modern world. Focusing on the deepest, most enduring aspects of Voltaire's work and thought, but never losing sight of the colorful, fascinating man himself, these 12 lectures sketch for you a vibrant, thought-provoking vision of Voltaire as "the father of the Enlightenment" and one of the great literary personalities of all time.

You'll follow this Enlightenment thinker's 84 astoundingly productive years and go inside not only his masterpiece, Candide, but the hundreds of other works in almost all the literary, philosophical, and polemical genres current in his day, and the more than 20,000 letters this prolific writer and thinker left behind.

What was Voltaire's world like? Who and what influenced him? What questions and dilemmas did he ponder? What evils did he struggle against? What reforms did he advocate? What made him laugh and cry, or write a book like Candide, which is at once so funny and so sad? And what is his place in the history of the Western mind? The answers to these and other questions can be found right here in this illuminating lecture series. If you're unfamiliar with Voltaire and his works, prepare to meet one of Western literature's defining writers. And if you already have some familiarity with the man, prepare to discover even more insights into why he still matters after all these years.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2001 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2001 The Great Courses

Prolific Critic, Philosopher, Writer

Very informative audiobook lecture series covering the great Voltaire. Learned much about his life and times and of the respect he earned even in his lifetime.

Listened Twice

I completely enjoyed listening to this book. So much so, in telling my husband about it, we put it on during a long car ride, and listened to it again. After one lecture, my husband was captivated too. I am not sure if this is the exact book, but comedian Tom Rhodes recommended a Great Courses audiobook on Voltaire - it was such an unexpected choice - I had to give it a try when I came across this in Audible.

Each half-hour lecture is dense with information, but easy to understand. I loved Professor Kors as well - he has a distinctive style of talking and accent, so much at first you might go, "oh, I'm not sure I can listen to this" - but his enthusiasm, passion, knowledge and humor makes him come alive as if you were sitting in a favorite professor's classroom. I grew so used to him explaining this pivotal and interesting era of history, I purchased another Great Courses "The Birth of the Modern Mind: The Intellectual History of the 17th and 18th Centuries" that Alan Charles Kors also presents. I wish there were more!

A solid course on Voltaire the thinker

I particularly like the chapter on Voltaire's writing of "Candide" in response to the Lisbon earthquake and the optimists's attitude towards it. Very powerful.

My only complaint is that I need to listen at >1.3x speed to feel like the it's at a normal rate of talking...

if we could all think this clearly

this is my first introduction to Voltaire and the enlightenment. I found it very entertaining and thought-provoking, I recommend anybody interested in the French Revolution or the American Revolution listen to this course. as it illustrates the thought processes of the 18th century. this is a fascinating treatise on philosophy and the thoughts of man which I am new to. I just finished the course on the French Revolution from the Great Courses. I plan on now listening to Candide and immersing myself in this great thinkers greatest play. the narration is entertaining and enlightening at the same time I listen to this course in the space of one day I found it so interesting.

Excellent content Voltaire is very important.

This Proffesor has a very strange naselly speech and accent it was distracting but he knew his stuff.

Interesting story

I enjoyed learning about Voltaire the person and the the history of the times he lived in. It was very complete.

Voltaire

I loved this lecture series. Professor Kors clearly knows the subject and is a great teacher and orator. This is education and philosophy at its best.

A pivotal mind

Most of the essential issues of the enlightenment were addressed by this singular mind of the XVIII century. A remarkable description.

Voltaire challenges all professors, Kors does well

What made the experience of listening to Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment the most enjoyable?

The passion of the professor.

What other book might you compare Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment to and why?

Anthony Padgen The Enlightenment and Why it Still Matters

Have you listened to any of Professor Alan Charles Kors’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But, I know his politics are different than mine but, he skillfully kept his libertarian/conservatism from the lectures.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The parade in France for Voltaire near the end of his life.

Any additional comments?

Does history offer an intellectual peer for Voltaire? His prodigious writing was not something I was aware of before these lectures. 8 million words boggles the mind.

myth busting

Alan Kors gives a rounded view of Voltaire as well as the context of Voltaire's writings.