French philosopher and writer who was the leading literary figure of the Enlightenment. He had one of the sharpest wits of modern times. His Lettres Philosophiques (Philosophical Letters), a product of his visit to England, were critical of French society and provided an introduction to Newton for many Frenchmen. He also had one of his mistresses, the marquise Gabrielle du Châtelet, translate the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica into French. After Voltaire's death, it was no longer possible to study all disciplines of science as a part of a humanistic education. Thus, the Age of Reason died with Voltaire and the age of specialized science replaced it.
Cited: http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Voltaire.html
