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Voltaire Was Europe's Most Famous and Influential Philosophes

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Voltaire Was Europe's Most Famous and Influential Philosophes Voltaire was Europe’s most famous and influential philosophes. Micromégas is one of his most popular short stories. Micromégas (the name means “Little-Big)” is a 120,000 foot giant from a planet near the star Sirius. While roaming the galaxy, he meets a 6,000 foot tall philosopher on Saturn. The two become friends and decide to visit other worlds. Within a short time, they stumble onto the tiny planet called Earth. Within a short time, Micromégas and the Saturnaian dwarf reach the Baltic Sea where they discover a ship containing a number of philosophers icromégas with delight at beholding objects so unusual, stretched and with fear lest they lose them. M out his Micromégas, a much better observer, hand, perceived clearly that the atoms were speaking seized with great to each other, and corrected his companion; dexterity the ship but the dwarf, ashamed of having erred on which carried those this delicate subject, refused to believe that gentlemen, and such creatures could have any means of placed it in the communicating ideas. hollow of his hand without squeezing it He had the gift of tongues as did too much, for fear of Micromégas; he did not hear the atoms speak, crushing it. "Here is so he concluded that they did not; besides, quite an animal,” he how could those imperceptible beings have observed. vocal organs, and what could they have to say? To be able to speak, one must think, or at The passengers and crew, who least make some approach to thought; but if thought a tempest had whirled them aloft, those creatures could think, they must have and supposed they had struck upon some kind something equivalent of a soul; and to of rock, began to stir; the sailors seized casks attribute the equivalent of a soul to these little of wine, threw them overboard on the animals seemed absurd. Saturnian's hand, then jumped down themselves, while the geometers seized their The travelers' astonishment increased quadrants, their sectors, and a pair of Lapland every instant. They heard mere mites speaking girls, and descended on the Saturnian's tolerably good sense; such a freak of nature fingers. They made such a commotion that at seemed inexplicable. You may imagine how last he felt a tickle--a pole with an iron point impatiently Micromégas and his dwarf longed being driven a foot deep into his forefinger. to converse with the atoms; but the dwarf feared that his voice of thunder, and still more What pleasure Micromégas and the that of Micromégas, might deafen the mites dwarf felt in watching the movements of those without conveying any meaning. To diminish little machines, in examining their feats, in its strength, they placed in their mouths little following their operations! How they shouted toothpicks, the tapering ends of which were with joy! "I see them!" they exclaimed both at brought near the ship. Then Micromégas, once. "Do you not observe how they are holding the dwarf on his knee (who in turn carrying burdens, how they stoop down and held the vessel with her crew upon his palm), rise up?" As they spoke, their hands trembled bent his head down and spoke in a low voice, measured me? He is a geometer, he knows my thus at last addressing them: size; while I, who can barely see him except "Invisible insects, through a microscope, am still ignorant of whom the hand of the his!" Creator has been pleased "Yes, I have taken your measure," said to produce in the abyss the man of science; "and, based on your of the infinitely little, I relative proportions, I further deduce that thank Him for having your big companion is approximately 120,000 deigned to reveal to me statute feet tall." secrets which seemed Thereupon Micromégas uttered, "I see inscrutable. It may be more clearly than ever that we should judge the courtiers of my nothing by its apparent size. O God, Who country would not condescend to look upon hast bestowed intelligence upon things which you, but I despise no one, and offer you my seemed so despicable, the infinitely little is as protection." much Thy concern as the infinitely great; and, If ever anyone was astonished, it was if it is possible that there should be living the people who heard these words, nor could things smaller than these, they may be they guess whence they came. The ship's endowed with minds superior even to those of chaplain recited the prayers used in exorcism, the magnificent creatures I have seen in the the sailors swore, and the philosophers sky, who with one foot could cover this globe constructed theories; but whatever theories upon which I have alighted." they constructed, they could not divine who One of the philosophers agreed he was speaking to them. The dwarf of Saturn, might with perfect confidence believe there who had a softer voice than Micromégas, then actually were intelligent beings much smaller told them briefly with what kind of beings than man. He informed him that there are they were dealing. He gave an account of their animals which bear the same proportion to journey from Saturn, and acquainted them bees that bees bear to men, or that with the parts and powers of Mr. Micromégas; Micromégas himself bore to those huge and, after having commiserated them for creatures of which he spoke, or that those being so small, he asked if they had always great creatures themselves bore to others been in that pitiful condition little better than before whom they seemed mere atoms. annihilation, if they increased and multiplied, whether they had souls, and a hundred other The conversation grew more and more questions. interesting, and Micromégas spoke as follows: A philosopher of the party, bolder "O intelligent atoms, in whom the than the rest, and shocked that the existence Eternal Being has been pleased to manifest of his soul should be questioned, took His skill and power, you must doubtless taste observations of the speaker with a quadrant joys of perfect purity on your globe; for, being from two different stations, and, at the third, encumbered with so little matter, and seeming spoke: "Do you then suppose sir, because a to be all spirit, you must pass your lives in thousand fathoms extend between your head love and meditation--the true life of spiritual and feet, that you are--" beings. I have nowhere beheld genuine happiness, but here it is to be found, without "A thousand fathoms!" cried the dwarf. a doubt." "Good heavens! How can he know my height? A thousand fathoms! He is not an inch out of On hearing these words, all the his reckoning. What! Has that atom actually philosophers shook their heads, and one, more frank than the others, candidly confessed that, of a million men, and afterward ordain a with the exception of a small number held in solemn thanksgiving to God." mean estimation among them, all the rest of The traveler, moved with compassion mankind were a multitude of fools, and for the tiny human race, among whom he miserable wretches. "We have more matter found such astonishing contrasts, said to the than we need," said he, "the cause of much gentlemen: "Since you belong to the small evil, if evil proceeds from matter; and we have number of wise men, and apparently do not too much mind, if evil proceeds from mind. kill anyone for money, tell me, pray, how you For instance, at this very moment there are occupy yourselves." 100,000 fools of our species who wear hats, slaying 100,000 fellow creatures who wear "We dissect flies," said the same turbans, or being massacred by them, and over philosopher, "measure distances, calculate almost all of Earth such practices have been numbers, agree upon two or three points we going on from time immemorial." understand, and dispute two or three thousand points of which we know nothing." The Sirian shuddered, and asked what could cause such horrible quarrels between The visitors from Sirius and Saturn those miserable little creatures. immediately desired to question these intelligent atoms about the subjects on which "The dispute concerns a mud heap," said the they agreed. philosopher, "no bigger than your heel. Not that a single one of those millions of men who "How far do you reckon it," said the get their throats cut has the slightest interest latter, "from the Dog Star to the great star in in this clod of earth. The only point in Gemini?" They all answered together: question is whether it shall belong to a certain "32 degrees and a half." man who is called Sultan, or another who, I "How far do you make it from here to know not why, is called Caesar. Neither has the Moon?" seen, or is ever likely to see, the little corner of ground which is the bone of contention; and "60 half-diameters of the Earth, in round hardly one of those animals, who are cutting numbers." each other's throats has ever seen the animal "What is the weight of your air?" He for whom they fight so desperately." thought to trick them, but they all answered "Ah! wretched creatures!" exclaimed that air weighs about 900 times less than an Micromégas with indignation; "Can anyone equal volume of distilled water, and 19,000 imagine such frantic ferocity! I should like to times less than pure gold. The little dwarf take two or three steps, and stamp upon the from Saturn, astonished at their replies, was whole swarm of these ridiculous assassins." now inclined to take for sorcerers the same people he had disbelieved, just a quarter hour "No need," answered the philosopher; "they ago, could possess souls.
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