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voltaire.ox.ac.uk
Voltaire Foundation
@voltaire.ox.ac.uk
World leader in Enlightenment studies, based at the University of Oxford.

Our publications: Voltaire's Complete Works (OCV), Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment (OSE) and much beyond.

https://www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/
New on the blog: our postdoctoral research assistant Sonya Dmitrieva on Voltaire as an owl.

voltairefoundation.wordpress.com/2025/10/17/h...
October 17, 2025 at 11:57 AM
How universalist was Enlightenment thought? In our 2025 Besterman Lecture, Antoine Lilti (Collège de France) discusses 'The three languages of universalism: thinking globally in the Enlightenment’. Thursday 13 Nov, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social:
voltaire.ox.ac.uk/event/bester...
October 8, 2025 at 9:31 AM
The excellent journal Lumières is looking for contributions to its 'varia' and book review sections. More info: www.pub-editions.fr/fr/868-lumie...; past issues: shs.cairn.info/revue-lumier...
September 29, 2025 at 10:19 AM
To mark the occasion, we have created a custom Telegram sticker pack featuring images from a remarkable series of engravings by Jean Huber (1721– 1786), Voltaire’s most prolific portraitist. The original prints are part of the Comte de Launoit collection at the Royal Library of Belgium (FS 332 C18).
September 11, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Exciting news about the recent acquisition of a 1791 edition of Voltaire’s Candide. The edition is recorded – there are copies in Geneva and Louvain – but it is certainly rare. A Voltaire Foundation (voltairefoundation.wordpress.com) and @tayoxford.bsky.social blog coming soon!
August 19, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Five funded PhD positions (4 years each) at the Politics of Enlightenment research group at IZEA @unihalle.bsky.social! Details here: polight.uni-halle.de/en/five-posi...
July 14, 2025 at 8:20 PM
📣 Calling all budding dix-huitiémistes! 📣Applications are welcome until 1 July to the annual Early Career Seminar of the International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (@isecs-sieds.bsky.social) in summer 2026! oraprdnt.uqtr.uquebec.ca/portail/gscw...
June 10, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Many thanks to @roydipiazza.bsky.social for a generous review of 'The Process of Enlightenment' @oxunienl.bsky.social! 'A landmark contribution to the fields of intellectual history and Enlightenment studies [...] timely, nuanced, and rich addition to current debates'.
doi.org/10.1080/1749...
April 30, 2025 at 10:21 AM
📣 Come join us! 📣 A two-year postdoc in Enlightenment Studies @voltaire.ox.ac.uk and Oxford's lively community of researchers working on the long 18thC @oxhistoryfaculty.bsky.social, Modern Languages, and beyond. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... Applications welcome by 30 May.
April 24, 2025 at 2:18 PM
📣 Come join us! 📣 A two-year postdoc in Enlightenment Studies @voltaire.ox.ac.uk and Oxford's lively community of researchers working on the long 18thC @oxhistoryfaculty.bsky.social, Modern Languages, and beyond. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... Applications welcome by 30 May.
April 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM
What kind of republicanism did Kant endorse in the context of absolutist Prussia? Join us for a talk by Pauline Kleingeld (@unigroningen.bsky.social) at our Enlightenment Workshop, Wednesday 12 March, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social. Further info: www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...
March 5, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Cross-cultural knowledge transfer in 18thC: Jeanhyoung Soh (Seoul) discusses Montesquieu and East Asia in an online session of our Enlightenment Workshop. Wednesday 5 March, 11:00 GMT, zoom.us/j/2739110432. Looking forward to seeing you virtually on Wednesday! www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...
March 3, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Why were Newton's theories so controversial in 18th-century Berlin? Tinca Prunea-Bretonnet talks at our Enlightenment Workshop on the reception of Newton in the Berlin Academy: Wednesday 26 Feb, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social. All welcome! www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...
February 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The Enlightenment in history and polemics: John Robertson, Caroline Warman and Jacob Chatterjee discuss J.C.D. Clark‘s new book, with the author, at our Enlightenment Workshop on Wed. 12 February, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social. All welcome! www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...
February 3, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Robespierre speaks: Colin Jones (QM London/U Chicago) on the revolutionary’s writings and political theory — Wednesday (29 Jan), 5pm, Magdalen College. All welcome! www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...
January 28, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Many thanks to Lea Ypi for a fascinating paper on Kant’s approach to colonialism and to the large, interdisciplinary audience at this term’s Enlightenment Workshop! Next session: Colin Jones on Robespierre, 29 Jan, 5pm. www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...
November 28, 2024 at 8:31 AM
Kant, colonialism and cosmopolitanism: don't miss the next session of our #EnlightenmentWorkshop with Lea Ypi (LSE, @Leaypi.bsky.social)! Wednesday 27 Nov, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social (Summer Common Room).
t.co/Tv2vdnHv9E
November 21, 2024 at 9:52 AM
November 15, 2024 at 1:09 PM
On Wednesday, we were thrilled to present Yulan Tan with the inaugural Voltaire Foundation Prize for best Performance in the MSc in Digital Scholarship 2023-24.

www.humanities.ox.ac.uk/mscdigsch

We had a lovely afternoon at Campion Hall hearing about her work since completing the course!
November 15, 2024 at 10:59 AM
How did 18th-century authors envisage 'the end of Enlightenment'? Roundtable on Richard Whatmore's book at our #EnlightenmentWorkshop TOMORROW Wednesday, 13 Nov, 5pm, Magdalen College, with the author and Oxford-based discussants: voltaire.ox.ac.uk/home/researc...

All welcome!
November 12, 2024 at 1:17 PM
📢 Applications are now open for next year’s MSc in Digital Scholarship, for entry in October 2025. 📢

More information on the course and how to apply can be found here: humanities.ox.ac.uk/mscdigsch

The application deadline is 7 January 2025.
September 23, 2024 at 9:44 AM
❗❗❗ Hackathon! ❗❗❗

Come join us in Paris for our next Hackathon on Voltaire and the Press! Organised by the ERC ModERN project, the VF, and in collaboration with the DataLab of the French National Library (BnF).

More info and how to register here:

www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/news-item/ca...
May 16, 2024 at 11:56 AM
The prestigious French agrégation for philosophy has chosen Montesquieu as its focal point for 2024-25. To support scholars, select studies on Montesquieu from the Voltaire Foundation have now been made #OpenAccess by Liverpool University Press until Summer 2025. Find out more: bit.ly/Montesquieu-OA
May 10, 2024 at 3:48 PM
How was the long reign of Frederick the Great perceived after his death? Come listen to Kevin Hilliard (St Peter's) at our Enlightenment Workshop on Wednesday 25 October, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social. All welcome!

www.voltaire.ox.ac.uk/event/enligh...
October 20, 2023 at 1:08 PM
Animals, poetry, religion, commerce, historicism and much more: the #EnlightenmentWorkshop returns over all three terms, joint venture of @voltaireoxford.bsky.social, History Faculty and Modern Languages Faculty. Wednesdays, 5pm @magdalenoxford.bsky.social

Full programme here: tinyurl.com/yh2pxexd
October 11, 2023 at 9:36 AM