Voltaire and Enlightenment Anti-Semitism

1. Voltaire and Enlightenment Anti-Semitism By: Katelyn Cartrette

2. Voltaire • Born on November 21, 1694 • Francois Marie Arouet • Francois’ intelligence, wit and style made him one of France’s greatest writers and philosophers. • Was in trouble with the authorities and was imprisoned in the Bastille for eleven months for writing a satire of the French government. • While he was in prison he wrote Oedipe, which was his first theatrical success, and where he adopted his pen name of Voltaire.

3. In 1726 he was in trouble again and was given two options of either being put in prison again or being exiled. • Voltaire chose exile and lived in England from 1726-1729. • While he was in England Voltaire became attracted to the thinking of philosopher John Locke and the mathematical and scientific ideas of Sir Isaac Newton.

4. “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” - VOLTAIRE • Voltaire was a voice of reason. • He was an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution. • Voltaire died in Paris at the age of 83. • Because of his criticism of the church Voltaire was denied burial in the church ground.

5. The Enlightenment • During the enlightenment movement intellect was the most important and central characteristic of man. • The intellect should be the focus of human behavior and evaluation. • According to this way of thinking one would need to find logic in the world and not to function according to emotions and beliefs. • This way of thinking cut ties with organized religion and support intellect and logic.

6. During the time of Enlightenment there was a drop in anti-semitism and so Jews enjoyed an improved socio-political status. • A positive result of this change was that one had to relate to the Jews as one did to any other person without looking at ethnic origin, and only at their actions and achievements. • In this time period there was the thought that there was no justification for discrimination on basis of religion. • Jews began to gain equality in the eye of the law. • Even though there was this new of thinking about the Jews the old way still remained.

7. "I am sure that the Jewish people are the strangest of all the peoples in the world. And despite the fact that from a political viewpoint they are the most despised of all, they are of great importance in the eyes of the philosophers…""And if so, there is therefore great truth in this, the Jews upheld the laws of their Torah and offered up human sacrifices. And this act, that their religion commands them, is fits well their lifestyles. Their books describe them as they slaughter without mercy, all who get in their way and they leave only the girls alive for their own needs.""But what can I say to my Jewish brother. Should I invite him to dine with me? Yes, but only on condition that Balaam's ass does to even think of braying, that Ezekiel does not mix his breakfast with our meal, that a fish does not come and swallow one of the participants and keep him in his belly for three days, that a serpent not interfere in our conversation and try to entice my wife … and most of all, that no Jew encircle my home with blasts of rams horns in order destroy the walls of the house in order to kill me, my father, my mother, my wife, my children, my cat and dog, in accordance with the ancient customs of the Jews.""It seems to me that you [the Jews] are the greatest madmen. The Kaffirs, the Hottentots [the term used in those times for African tribes] and the black people of Guinea are more reasonable and upright people then the forefathers of your fathers the Jews. You have outdone all the nations in your impertinent fabrications, your bad behavior and your hooliganism.""We are all born with zealousness in our hearts, in the same way as the Britons and the Germans are born with blonde hair. I would not be surprised no matter what happens, if one day these people will cause the human race to be wiped out."

8. Even though the Jews in fact did enjoy the reward of equality during this time there was a price to pay. • They were expected to go through a process of improvement, correction, and reciprocity. • The burden of proving that they were deserving of this equality was the responsibility of the Jews.

9. French Equal Rights Law • "[The meeting] annuls all deferrals, reservations, and exceptions to the rule, that were included in previous rulings with respect to specific Jews, that they swear the oath of citizenship, which will be regarded as a renunciation of all the privileges and exceptions afforded to them in the past."

10. The Jews refused to give up their religious and national identity and “dissolve” into society. • This was seen as them not keeping up their end of the bargain and as ungratefulness. • This began a new and significant level of hatred the European countries had for the Jews.

11. The Romantic Movement • The Romantic Movement became a reaction to the standpoint of the Enlightenment movement. • Fighting against the rational thought that all men are created equal the Romantics questioned this asking are all men really created equal? • The answer to this question was no.

12. The people who adopted this idea thought that there were specific personality characteristics that belonged to certain groups of people. • According to this mankind and history is directed by factors rather than logic. • Their thoughts formed the idea that the nation was not a coincidental gathering of people, but a group with specific traits who develop together historically. • This way of thinking was different than the Social Contract theory which was the thinking during the Enlightenment period.

13. The path from this way of thinking to racism is a short one. • Since these people were divided into groups, certain ones would start showing supremacy over the others. • This approach was intensified, especially in Germany.

14. The German state was not based on territorial borders, but rather on the image of the “German” without a connection to any place or land. • The “German” is a person who is born into the German organic ethnic grouping. • Therefore it is easy to see why the Jews were not accepted in this society. • Even though they had become assimilated into German society, they would never become part of the living, organic entity that was the Germans.

15. Discussion Questions • When you think of anti-semitism do you think of it as being a part of our past or does it continue today? • Anti-semitism is mainly thought of as being a part of World War II; since it was apart of earlier history why do you think it was still allowed to continue so many years later?

16. Works Cited • "Voltaire." Lucidcafe:library. Robin Chew, n.d. Web. 7 Mar 2011. <http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95nov/voltaire.html>. • "Waves of Anti-Semitism." Snunit. Snunit, 2002. Web. 7 Mar 2011. <http://www.snunit.k12.il/seder/anti/english/hate8eng.html>. • "Ancestors." Nova. Web. 7 Mar 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/ance-09.html>. • Sutcliffe, Adam. "Judaism and the Politics of Enlightenment." American Behavioral Scientist 49.5 702-715. Web. 7 Mar 2011. <http://abs.sagepub.com/content/49/5/702>.