I'm halfway through Roger Pearson's Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom (2005). Voltaire, of course, rocks: ". . . history is a witness, not a flatterer . . . the only way to make others say good things of us, is to do good things . . ." Voltaire's worldview was remarkably enlightened, progressive, and anathema to arbitrary power -- an astonishing fact given his years on earth (1694-1778). He was quite a character, to boot. Aptly, from the front flap: A rebel from start to finish . . . The consummate outsider, a dissenter who craved acceptance while flamboyantly disdaining it, author of countless stories, poems, books, plays, treatises, and tracts as well as some twenty thousand letters to his friends: Voltaire had a long and active life, all for the cause of freedom -- his own and others'.
Today's Rune: Partnership.
5 comments:
Sounds like I'd enjoy this.
Interesting. I'll have to check him out more than I have. Here I thought I was a Nietzche girl...*LOL*
Good quote. A rule to live by. Happy '008 to you.
Sounds fascinating. I'm putting your post in my books-to-buy box.
Like your other commenters, I'm thinking "gotta check out Voltaire."
Thank you for the comment. Have an awesome 2008! Happy New Year to you.
Packing to go to Lagos. I love flying. Pretty excited about Cairo (if the visa thing doesn't get screwed further ;)
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