Voltaire, Jefferson, and Stanton: Advocates for Freedom
Voltaire, Jefferson, and Stanton are three revolutionists who played a significant role in the advocacy for freedom thus contributing majorly to the open and free society that we have today. Voltaire was an outspoken French philosopher and thinker who is widely known for his strong advocacy for freedom of speech and the separation of state and church in the 17th century (Pierse 1157).
Voltaire's Impact in France and the United States
Voltaire was a prolific writer who wrote many letters, books, and publications; a large number of them critiquing the church and government and on many occasions found himself in conflict with the law and was arrested and prosecuted. On one occasion, he was jailed in the Bastille for a year due to the composition of poems that the that the senior French family found insulting and scandalous (Saul n.p). Most of his writings were also banned since they condemned everything, particularly religion and the government.
Voltaire's work was monumental in the revolution of France. The revolution also considerably spread to the United States where a man by the name of Thomas Jefferson resided. Jefferson was active in the 18th century and therefore worked after Voltaire (Carpenter 5). Jefferson and Voltaire were very similar in opinion and actions and thus may have directly and indirectly influenced each other. When Voltaire was alive, he was amongst the most divisive figures as he spoke the uncomfortable truth, resulting in many hating him. Others, like Thomas Jefferson, greatly admired him and wanted to become like him. Voltaire's ideas of enlightenment mainly helped a lot in Jefferson's career, since they promulgated the freedom of speech, thought and religion, helping him with ideas of how to achieve the said freedom (Piercy n.p). Worth noting is the fact that almost all of Jefferson's ideologies and philosophies were influenced by the enlightenment philosophy, meaning that most of the ideas adopted were from Voltaire.
Shared Ideas: Opposition to Monarchy and Colonialism
Voltaire and Jefferson shared the same ideas such as the active opposition of monarchy and retrogressive religion. The two believed that there was the need for democracy which would allow the people to choose what they want and that the ideas of a few people were not supposed to be forcefully inflicted on the rest of the people. Further, Voltaire's opposition to colonialism matched Jefferson's. The latter built his ideas from Voltaire's ideologies of a free country and insisted that America was better off cultivating the republican ideas at home, without interference or interfering with others abroad (Piercy n.p). Equality was also amongst the two philosopher's primary source of concern, and the two argued that every man was equal regardless of their status and class in society.
Jefferson's Influence on Stanton: Women's Rights
When Jefferson wrote the declaration for independence, he was highly motivated and adopted the ideas of Voltaire's books, many of which were concerned with the social injustice, ignorance as well as religious superstition among the people.
Thomas Jefferson greatly influenced Elizabeth Stanton, a distinguished women's rights activist (Ziegler 232). Stanton was a significant figure in the 18th century and was renown for her many speeches, pamphlets, and writings which were all designed to ensure that women's freedom was achieved. Stanton and Jeffery were very similar, particularly in the agreement that slavery was detrimental and unjust in society. All through his career and tenure, Jefferson kept advocating for peace and strongly discouraging any form of slavery. Stanton followed suit and even omitted the term "obey" as she said her wedding vows, attributing and considering it another form of slavery. (Ziegler 236)
Stanton's Adoption and Adaptation of Jefferson's Ideas
It is evident that Stanton adopted most of her ideas from Jefferson. The only difference was that Jefferson focused on the entire population while Stanton concentrated on women's rights only.
Another significant sign that proved Stanton looked up to Jefferson was the consideration of her work where she wrote the declaration of sentiments. She chose the declaration of independence as her framework, work which had been written by Jefferson. Stanton agreed with Jefferson's work but insisted that the women were not recognized by both the regime as well as his overall work. Therefore, since his work favored the male, she decided to edit some parts of it to favor the women too, doing it subtly and very smartly. For instance, where Jefferson's work stated that all men were equal, she edited it and wrote that all men and women were equal. She edited many other parts, to show that women too were deserving of recognition as well as protection. Through her work, the plight of women was highlighted and played a significant role in the quest for equality(Ziegler 237).
The Building of a Free Society
Evidently, the three philosophers, Voltaire, Jefferson, and Stanton were very monumental in the fight for human rights as well as revolutionizing the systems to ensure that the people were no longer oppressed. The philosophers influenced each other in the sense that Jefferson drew many of his ideas from Voltaire, particularly on the enlightenment philosophy while Stanton drew her ideas from Jefferson, by using and twisting his work to include women. Therefore, the three persons’ theories built upon each other, consequently helping in the bringing out of the free society that we have today.
Works cited
Carpenter, James. "Thomas Jefferson and the ideology of democratic schooling." Democracy and Education 21.2 (2013): 5.
Piercy, Philip D. Thomas Jefferson: Philosophy, Education, and the Scottish Enlightenment. Notre Dame of Maryland University, 2015.
Pierse, Siofra. "Marquise Émilie Du Châtelet as “Lady Newton”: Prefatory Nuances and Problematic Ambiguities in the Writing of an Early-Modern Female Scientist." Women's Studies 44.8 (2015): 1156-1177.
Saul, John Ralston. Voltaire's bastards: The dictatorship of reason in the West. Simon and Schuster, 2013.
Ziegler, Mary. "Women's Rights on the Right: The History and Stakes of Modern Pro-Life Feminism." Berkeley J. Gender L. & Just. 28 (2013): 232.
