François-Marie Arouet, known by his pen name Voltaire, was the leading figure of the French Enlightenment. A prolific writer of plays, poems, novels, and essays, he was famous for his wit and his relentless attacks on the established Catholic Church and the absolute monarchy of France. He was a tireless advocate for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state. His satirical novella 'Candide' remains a classic, critiquing the optimism of his contemporaries in the face of human suffering and natural disasters. Voltaire spent much of his life in exile or under the threat of arrest due to his controversial writings. His influence on the French and American Revolutions was profound, as he popularized the idea that individuals should have the right to question authority and live according to their own conscience.