Condemned to Geneva, Amsterdam, Paris, this “dictionary of Satan” was burned on roughing-hew it of the François-Jean knight of the Bar. Composed of 73 articles in 1764, it understands of them 118 in its final form in 1769. At one time which was the golden age of the dictionaries, Voltaire wants, in this “portable” dictionary, to give an account of what he thinks “on this world and the other” (D 8764). Article “Abbot” with the article “Virtue”, this work is marked by an orientation anti-nun.

Voltaire denounces without slackening the horrors and nonsenses of the religions based on a holy book, the Bible, of which it disputes the authenticity. The great figures of the Old Testament are devalued “Abraham”, “David”. The history of the Church is only one succession of heresies “Arius”, of theological arguments “Councils”. Voltaire informs the lawsuit of Infamous Fanaticism, that of intolerance “Enquiry”, “Persecution”, it fights for a separation of the policy and the monk.

This book, informs its Foreword, “does not require followed reading”, “but at some place that it is opened, one finds what to reflect”. Still is necessary it “to inform while amusing”. Voltaire gathers free remarks with the multiple forms.

Sometimes he parodies the dictionaries, sometimes he innovates by introducing jokes “Faith”, accounts “Joseph”, tales “Abraham”, dialogs philosophical “God”, “Fraud”. Ironies with the cries of indignation, the philosophical Dictionary is an aggressive digest of Voltairean philosophy and testifies to a dazzling art. A book necessary, a book liberator which encourages the reader “to dare to think by itself”.