was voltaire a hypocrat? he invested in slave trading companies. he championed human rights at the same time.

Voltaire is often recognized for his advocacy of civil liberties, freedom of speech, and religious tolerance, but he is also a figure of complexity, embodying contradictions that reflect the moral ambiguities of his time. Indeed, he invested in slave trading companies, which raises questions about the consistency of his principles regarding human rights and freedom. Many Enlightenment thinkers, including Voltaire, held progressive views on certain social issues, yet their actions sometimes contradicted those views. The slave trade was a common practice during Voltaire's lifetime, and many intellectuals of the era had complex relationships with it, benefiting from economic practices that contradict the ideals of liberty and justice they championed. Critics argue that this hypocrisy points to a broader issue within Enlightenment thought: the struggle to reconcile the ideals of personal freedom and universal human rights with the realities of colonialism and exploitation. Others might contend that the backdrop of the 18th century was such that many people participated in and profited from systems of inequality while advocating for principles that would eventually lead to the questioning of those very systems. In summary, while Voltaire was a champion of certain human rights and civil liberties, his investments in slave trading companies illustrate the conflicts and contradictions inherent in his legacy, reflecting the complexities of Enlightenment thought itself.