Horrible danger of the reading

Of the horrible danger of the reading is a Pamphlet of Voltaire published in 1765.

It affects the form of an edict of the Ottoman Empire. In the text, Joussouf Cherébi, “mouphti of the Othoman Holy roman Empire”, protest against the reading, which “obviously tends to dissipate the ignorance, which is the guardian and the safeguard of the well organized States. ”

A Lampoon

Very critical text which attacks with an idea or a person. It is one of the processes of the argumentation.

● Critical of a system politico-monk

- Hides behind `masks' to appear authentic, e.g.: Joussouf Chéribi

- Example of the critical East but actually contemporary context of Fce Takes, allusions to Fce: `a small State named Frankrom' and play on the date: 1143 (hégire) + 622 (Christian calendar) = 1765 (publication date)

- Text presented in the form of laws aiming at prohibiting printing works

-1e law shows well that the 2 capacities maintain the people in ignorance Pr to better control them in their prohibiting to read (" this facility to communicate its thoughts obviously tends to dissipate the ignorance")

2nd law: V. states scientific arguments in the direction or the technical training would lead to the modernization of agriculture.

them leader exert also a control of pop by 1 inaccurate teaching of the History

> Lampoon because critical system politico-monk which maintains the people in ignorance (obscurantism) while exploiting the religion, the superstition, and the laws which sanction. It is also a system which pushes with the denouncement.

A praise

● Article 4: V. speaks indirectly about the Encyclopedia the purpose of which was to collect ttes human knowledge of the time. Known as that the philosophers could `light the men and to make them better' Still use the irony and makes use of the arguments of its adversaries to make them ridiculous: `miserable philosophers' who teach `dangerous virtues' = exposes its own ideals & those of the philosophers of its time.

● V. uses also the irony by saying the opposite of what he thinks: the 6 articles are to be taken in the opposite direction: almost a `creed progressist' Exaggeration of the adjectives that Joussouf employs to qualify the dangers of the reading: " horrible, pernicious, infernal invention, diabolic temptation involving the damnation éternelle" … Homage to the philosophers and the knowledge which was obtained according to him by the reading.

To conclude, in the shape of a legal text, Voltaire criticizes a monarchy of rights divine or religious and political are mixed. But, it also defends with irony freedom of expression, sciences, arts and philosophy. The purpose of this txt is actually to ridicule the censure and pays homage to the philosophers of the lights which were committed. This txt poses Pb of the obscurantism that V. seeks to denounce .....

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