Voltaire and the Quakers: The non-dangerousness of tolerance

Moved by the execution of Jean Calas, in 1763 Voltaire wrote The Treaty on tolerance. In such work, through a careful exam of the Calas affair, the French philosopher focused on the consequences of tolerance and intolerance. In particular, in chapter four, entitled Si la tolerance est dangereuse et chez quels peuples elle est pratiquée, he cast a careful look at those European governments that after being oppressed by religious wars had begun to consider all men equal, so that their religious beliefs could no longer be a discriminatory factor. Voltaire paid particular attention to non-European countries, such as China and Japan, tolerant of all faiths expect of those, such as the one preached by the Jesuits, that were ready to spill blood to convert others.

In Voltaire’s analysis careful consideration was given to the case of the Quakers, a small part of old Europe that, after fleeing to America, had not only practiced tolerance, but had made the search for peace its essence. From the study of this part of Voltaire’s work I intend to highlight the capacity of the Quakers ‘as Europeans’ oppressed for their religious beliefs, to create and develop in the New World that feeling tolerance that was slow to take root within Europe itself.