Zadig the Babylonian

François-Marie Arouet (1694 – 1778) - more known as Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state. Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works.

“Zadig the Babylonian” is a famous novel and work of philosophical fiction. It tells the story of Zadig, a philosopher in ancient Babylonia. The author does not attempt any historical accuracy, and some of the problems Zadig faces are thinly disguised references to social and political problems of Voltaire's own day. It is philosophical in nature, and presents human life as in the hands of a destiny beyond human control. Many literary critics have praised Voltaire's use of contradiction and juxtaposition. A very provoking work!