Abstract

This chapter addresses Voltaire’s use of the strategy of writing in multiple voices, especially in relation to his _Philosophical Dictionary._ It argues that this literary device was not merely a tactic to avoid being identified with controversial positions. It allowed Voltaire to subtly explore philosophical issues about the way beliefs are held. The chapter offers close readings of the _Dictionary_ entries on Atheism and Torture, highlighting Voltaire’s use of irony and the ways in which his writing strategies allow engagement with a range of viewpoints without endorsing any. The chapter gives some consideration to other works, including the _Treatise on Tolerance_, where Voltaire addressed issues of tolerance and belief. It also discusses the intellectual context of atheism and deism in the eighteenth century.