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How did Voltaire argue against torture and cruel punishments?

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Life-sized plaster sculpture Seated Voltaire by Jean-Antoine Houdon shows Voltaire draped in a robe, seated with a thoughtful expression and a ribbon crown, against a dark background. — Voltaire *Voltaire*, plaster sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon; in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California.

Voltaire, a prominent figure of the Enlightenment, was a staunch advocate for the abolition of torture and cruel punishments, viewing them as archaic practices that defied the voice of reason.12

He argued against these practices primarily by acting as an advocate at the bar of public opinion, using his writing to expose the injustices of the judicial system. Voltaire highlighted how torture often led to miscarriages of justice, noting that it frequently forced innocent individuals to confess to crimes they did not commit.23

He famously intervened in notorious public scandals to demonstrate the barbarity of such methods, including:
* The case of Jean Calas, a merchant who was broken on the wheel while protesting his innocence.42
* The execution of the Chevalier de La Barre, who was tortured and beheaded for alleged blasphemy.42

By publicizing these cases, Voltaire sought to shame authorities and mobilize support for legal reform, emphasizing that a just society must respect the rights of man and abandon useless, cruel punishments.42