Letters on England

work by Voltaire

Also known as: “Lettres philosophiques”, “Lettres sur les Anglais”(Show More)

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June 30, 2026

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Voltaire's Letters on England, also known as Lettres philosophiques, is a work of 18th-century thought that uses fictitious letters to praise English society and government as a model for France. Published in 1734, the book highlights the benefits of religious toleration and contrasts English empiricism, exemplified by thinkers like John Locke and Isaac Newton, with the speculative philosophies of French thinkers such as René Descartes and Blaise Pascal.12

Voltaire admired England's political system, commerce, and literature, even introducing French readers to Shakespeare. The work champions progress in sciences and arts as a means to human happiness, a stark contrast to the French emphasis on penitence. Letters on England is considered a landmark in intellectual history and a significant piece of French literature, embodying the spirit of the Enlightenment and influencing the direction of modern thought.12

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Voltaire
Return to France
…work of incisive brevity: the Lettres philosophiques (1734). These fictitious letters are primarily a demonstration of the benign effects of religious toleration. They contrast the wise Empiricist psychology of Locke with the conjectural lucubrations of René Descartes. A philosopher worthy of the name, such as Newton, disdains empty, a priori
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…work of incisive brevity: the Lettres philosophiques (1734). These fictitious letters are primarily a demonstration of the benign effects of religious toleration. They contrast the wise Empiricist psychology of Locke with the conjectural lucubrations of René Descartes. A philosopher worthy of the name, such as Newton, disdains empty, a priori
Read More

French literature
The Enlightenment
…to the Lettres philosophiques (1734; Letters on England), which—taking England as a polemical model of philosophical freedom, experimental use of reason, enlightened patronage of arts and science, and respect for the new merchant classes and their contribution to the nation’s economic well-being—offered a program for a whole civilization, as well…
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…to the Lettres philosophiques (1734; Letters on England), which—taking England as a polemical model of philosophical freedom, experimental use of reason, enlightened patronage of arts and science, and respect for the new merchant classes and their contribution to the nation’s economic well-being—offered a program for a whole civilization, as well…
Read More