To this day, Voltaire is not only viewed as a towering genius of intellect, style, and wit, but also as a tireless crusader for social reform. He often devoted his literary efforts to the fight against bigotry, tyranny, and the cruelty to which humans subject each other. He was an outspoken champion of truth and humanity whose works influenced the direction of Western civilization, and whose ideals built the intellectual platforms of both the French and American revolutions."