This is a response I posted to a question in my Cultures class What beliefs and institutions did Voltaire criticize in "Candide"? How are his criticisms related to the projects and ideals of the Enlightenment? In what ways might you suspect that Voltaire's criticisms might have influenced social philosophy in subsequent centuries, including our own? Voltaire, like several other philosophers during the time period referred to as the "Enlightenment", criticized, above all, beliefs and practices of the Catholic church. This institution broken into three part, the church as a whole, the monarchy and the minorities, being the believers. Throughout his writings he spoke of the church as a corrupted institution. He criticized clergy or the Pope for having children, as they took a vow of chastity. One of the other criticisms he points out is clergy breaking the 10 commandments by stealing, in the case of the Friar who take Cunegonde's jewels. Voltaire spoke against