Publisher's Synopsis
Voltaire's ideas were profoundly shaped by Enlightenment thinkers, including those who championed Deism-a belief in a distant, uninvolved creator. However, the cognitive biases that Voltaire displayed, such as his predisposition to favor secularism and his antagonism towards organized religion, led him to overlook the moral and existential truths that Christianity provides. Through critical examination, we will highlight these cognitive biases and the logical errors in his philosophical system.
For instance, one major logical flaw in Voltaire's reasoning is his simplistic association of religious belief with the abuses of religious institutions. By conflating institutional corruption with the essence of Christian teaching, Voltaire erected a straw man that is easily dismantled. Similarly, Voltaire's hermeneutic approach-his interpretation of sacred texts-reveals numerous errors. He often misrepresented or misunderstood biblical passages, failing to grasp the historical and theological context within which they were written.
Furthermore, Voltaire's understanding of science, though ahead of his time in some respects, was incomplete. His critique of miracles, for example, rested on a narrow view of natural laws that contemporary science has since expanded. Voltaire's critiques of Christianity in light of science often relied on outdated or superficial scientific concepts, which we will examine in later chapters.
