JOURNAL ARTICLE

Voltaire and the politicization of medicine and science.

  • Published In: Journal of Medical Biography, 2023, v. 31, n. 1. P. 28 1 of 3

  • Database: Historical Abstracts with Full Text 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Margo, Curtis E; Harman, Lynn E 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines how Voltaire, a leading figure of the 18th-century Enlightenment, used the examples of smallpox inoculation and scientific empiricism in his 1734 work *Philosophical Letters* to advocate for personal liberty and criticize the authoritarian ancien régime of France. Voltaire contrasted the English embrace of empirical science and inoculation with French resistance, attributing England's political and scientific successes to its culture of freedom and rational inquiry. The article also contextualizes the historical controversy over smallpox inoculation in early 18th-century Massachusetts and explores Enlightenment skepticism, distinguishing it from modern science denial and anti-vaccination movements. Ultimately, Voltaire's promotion of science and medicine is presented as foundational to his broader political vision of liberty grounded in free thought and open exchange of ideas.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Medical Biography. 2023/02, Vol. 31, Issue 1, p28
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0967-7720
  • DOI:10.1177/09677720211010461
  • Accession Number:161823812
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