Question

which statement best characterizes the ideas of voltaire?people are naturally reasonable.people are naturally selfish and violent.governments create unequal societies.government should be separate from religion.

Explanation:

Voltaire, a key Enlightenment thinker, was a strong advocate for the separation of church and state, arguing that religious institutions should not hold political power and that governments should govern without religious interference. The other options do not align with his core ideas: he did not view people as inherently reasonable (he was critical of human irrationality), did not emphasize inherent human selfishness/violence (a view more associated with Hobbes), and did not center his work on governments creating unequal societies.

Answer:

D. Government should be separate from religion.