Voltaire (1694-1778) is one of the greatest French writers of all time. His wide-ranging body of work includes plays, letters, essays, novellas, poems, and treatises that champion freedom of speech, freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and respect for the rights of man. Using wit and satire, Voltaire crusaded against all forms of tyranny, bigotry, and cruelty. A major figure of the Enlightenment, he is credited with influencing the shape of European civilization.