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Diatribe du docteur Akakia

pamphlet by Voltaire

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The Diatribe du docteur Akakia was a satirical pamphlet written by Voltaire in 1752. It was a scathing critique of Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis, the president of Frederick II's academy of science in Berlin. Voltaire used ridicule to attack Maupertuis, which angered Frederick II, who ordered the pamphlet to be burned and reprimanded Voltaire. This incident contributed to Voltaire's departure from Prussia in 1753. Voltaire, whose real name was Fran\u00e7ois-Marie Arouet, was a prominent French author and philosopher of the Enlightenment. He was known for his critical writings that often attacked church authority and French political institutions, advocating for civil liberty.12

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