''Idées républicaines'' (''Republican ideas'') is a political pamphlet by the French philosopher and author

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

. It was published anonymously and undated, but is thought to have been written in late 1765. It defends free thought and free expression in general, and also contains Voltaire's thoughts on the ongoing campaign for democracy in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, where he supported greater power for the citizens.

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The pamphlet includes critical commentary on

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

's ''

The Social Contract ''The Social Contract'', originally published as ''On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Right'' (french: Du contrat social; ou, Principes du droit politique), is a 1762 French-language book by the Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques ...

'' and

Montesquieu Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (; ; 18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher. He is the principa ...

's ''

The Spirit of the Laws ''The Spirit of Law'' (French: ''De l'esprit des lois'', originally spelled ''De l'esprit des loix''), also known in English as ''The Spirit of the Laws'', is a treatise on political theory, as well as a pioneering work in comparative law, publis ...

''. It also defends the natural right to

free expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...

. ''The Social Contract'' had been burned at Geneva. Voltaire writes, "The operation of burning it was perhaps as odious as that of writing it. ..If the book was dangerous, it should have been refuted. To burn a book of argument is to say: 'We do not have enough wit to reply to it.'" He comments that England, despite being a monarchy, has a more enlightened population than other countries because the right to publish is protected by law. Voltaire writes that a perfect government is impossible, but that a

republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

is the closest to achieving natural equality. There are many textual similarities between ''Idées républicaines'' and Voltaire's private memorandum on the struggle in Geneva, ''Propositions à examiner pour apaiser les divisions de Genève''.

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Further reading