Voltaire
1694–1778
“Crush the infamy. Defend free speech to the death. Cultivate your garden.”
The four dimensions in the 16-axis model where this thinker scores highest. People in this archetype tend to lean the same way.
- TETrust in Experience8 / 10
- SRSkeptical Reflex8 / 10
- POPractical Orientation8 / 10
- VAVital Affirmation7 / 10
The six thinkers whose 16-dimensional positions sit closest to this one. Useful as next-reading suggestions.
- Jeremy BenthamFORGE
The greatest happiness of the greatest number — pleasure calculus made law.
- Henry SidgwickFORGE
Methods of Ethics — utilitarianism, egoism, intuitionism scrupulously compared.
- Adam SmithFORGE
Theory of Moral Sentiments — the impartial spectator inside each of us.
- Karatani KojinFORGE
Modes of exchange — capital and the gift as paired political histories.
- William MacAskillFORGE
Effective altruism and longtermism — doing the most good with the most rigor.
- Francis HutchesonFORGE
Moral sense school — benevolence as the proper object of approval.
Concepts where Voltaire sits in the conversation. Each links to a primer.
Short exercises in the same tradition as Voltaire's thought. Each takes 5–25 minutes.
Three doors lead onward.
- 01 · QUIZThe InheritorFind your archetype — discover whether you'd argue with Voltaire or alongside them.CONTINUE ▶
- 02 · COMPAREVoltaire vs Jeremy BenthamOn Mull's map Jeremy Bentham sits closest. See where they agree and where they part.CONTINUE ▶
- 03 · DAILYToday's SparOne philosopher, one topic, five minutes. A new one drops every day.CONTINUE ▶