He died on this day in 1778, leaving behind an inspirational legacy of tolerance towards dissent. Voltaire was a prolific French writer, critic, historian and philosopher, who employed wit and logic to advocate the cause of civil liberties, freedom and social reform. He produced works in varied literary forms of plays, poetry, novels and essays. His ideas influenced important thinkers of the American and French Revolutions.
However the oft-cited Voltaire quotation - “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” – is said to be incorrectly credited to him. The words were used by Evelyn Beatrice Hall in her book - The Friends of Voltaire - to state Voltaire's attitude. Voltaire championed the cause of tolerance to such an extent that he supported the rights of the people who disagreed with him.
Today in an increasingly intolerant world, we need to be better at inculcating Voltaire’s attitude and approach. We need to be more open minded in very passionate debate and discussion. And to do so we have to genuinely believe like Voltaire did, that all human beings are not only equal, but also that they have a right to disagree. It is all about disagreeing without being disagreeable.
I must BE BETTER at ensuring real tolerance in me
by not being disagreeable every time I disagree!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
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