He was a French philosopher, writer, essayist, and deist. He lived during the Enlightenment period and was one of its champions. His contributions to western civilization include:
- Defense of civil liberties
- Defense of freedom of religion
- Defense of the right to a fair trial
- Outspoken supporter of social reform despite strict censorship laws in France and harsh penalties for those who broke them.
- He used his writings to criticize Christian Church dogma and the French institutions of his day.
