Micromégas
Quick Summary
Micromégas is a satirical novella by Voltaire, published in 1752. It critiques human vanity and provincialism by contrasting humanity with beings from other planets. The story features an inhabitant of the planet Sirius and a visitor from Saturn, who travel through space and visit Earth. Their observations highlight the insignificance of human affairs and the limitations of human knowledge when viewed from a cosmic perspective. The work is characteristic of Voltaire's Enlightenment-era philosophy, emphasizing reason, skepticism, and a critique of established institutions and beliefs.1
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
