Voltaire

Voltaire, the pen name for a French man named Francois Marie Arouet, was born in Paris in 1694. Because of his wit, opinionated nature, and unique style, he became an important figure in philosophy and French history.
Voltaire was a popular person in society circles because of his humor and strong beliefs. In 1717, this got him in trouble with authorities. He was imprisoned for ridiculing the French government in one of his writings. While imprisoned, wrote Oedipe, his first theatrical success, and came up with his pen name.
Through the years, Voltaire continued to express his strong beliefs. He eventually was exiled from France because of this. He moved to England, and was attracted to the beliefs of John Locke and Isaac Newton. Thus, he found his interest in philosophical rationalism and natural sciences.

A basic element of the beliefs of Voltaire was that he thought that people should be able to express themselves. He demonstrated this belief in his lifetime.