French Literature Reviews - 2026

Voltaire, Complete Works of Voltaire, Vol. 65B: The Singularities of Nature
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

Complete Works of Voltaire, Vol. 65B: The Singularities of Nature

Voltaire, ed. Gerhardt Stenger

ISBN 978-0-7294-1152-3, xxi+383 pages, 6 illus., £105.00

In 1768, Voltaire published a collection of 38 short chapters (preceded by an introduction) on various aspects of the natural world under the title The Singularities of Nature. The wide variety of subjects covered bears witness to the breadth of Voltaire’s curiosity and his deep interest in the emerging natural sciences. Ranging from geology to biology, the author ponders the major intellectual debates of his era, conducts his own experiments on slugs and snails, and challenges Buffon, de Maillet, and others regarding the origin of fossils and mountain formation. In an introductory study to this volume, Gerhardt Stenger examines Voltaire's place within the context of the major scientific controversies of his day.

Published by the Voltaire Foundation as part of the Complete Works of Voltaire collection.

For further information on this volume: http://www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/book/les-singularités-de-la-nature

For any other inquiries, or to place an order: http://www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/our-publications/how-buy

For further information, please contact email@voltaire.ox.ac.uk

Published as part of the Complete Works of Voltaire collection by the Voltaire Foundation, this volume focuses on Voltaire's 1768 publication comprising an introduction and thirty-eight short chapters on the natural world. Editor Gerhardt Stenger provides an introductory study examining Voltaire's position within the major scientific controversies of his day. Readers interested in the history of science and Enlightenment philosophy may find this critical edition relevant to their studies of intellectual history.