Ignorance In Voltaire's Novel 'Candide'

In Voltaire’s novel “Candide”, Candide (The main character) has a tutor in the beginning of the novel named Pangloss. This character is the most lampooned character in the novel and for good reason. “ Pangloss taught metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-boobology” (Pg. 42) this was the belief that things could not be anything other than what they are; due to the fact that things are made for an end and thus everything is necessary for the best end. Voltaire criticizes this as it is the greatest type of ignorance that there can be against the enlightenment, thusly it is an absurd way of thinking. Throughout the novel Voltaire shows us vivid examples of how Pangloss’s beliefs are absurd and not justified. The first example of this comes in page 47

when the young Candide was on a walk and ran into a beggar, this beggar was riddled with sores “nose rotting, mouth twisted, teeth black, a raspy voice, tortured by a violent cough, and spitting out a tooth with every spasm.” (Pg. 47) .

Candide’s caring soul could not let him pass this beggar by without giving him the two florins he had. At this the beggar jumped up to embrace Candide, we come to find out that this beggar is actually Pangloss. After realizing this Candide begs the man he is staying with, the Antibaptist Jacques, to pay for treatment of his old tutor. Jacques the kind man he is willingly obliges. Once Pangloss has recovered he has lost an ear an one eye, but even after having his home destroyed: friends murdered, becoming a beggar, and almost dying from sickness, he still tells Jacques that everything was for the best. Voltaire tries to inject some proper sense into the situation by having Jacques argue that humans have corrupted there original nature and have invented many things as well as ways to destroy each other. Voltaire makes Pangloss respond with an answer that is so radically anti-enlightenment it helps to show his dislike for Pangloss. He says “private misfortunes work for the general good, so the more private misfortunes there are, the more all is well.” This statement is so radically against the enlightenment of which was trying to get everyone to realize, that the aristocracies, kingdoms and religious establishments should not be able to treat them any way they

wanted. These people should be able to reason, believe as well as experience for themselves, without being brutally punished for it. Throughout the rest of the book even after Pangloss’s death by brutally being hung (while Candide was forced to watch, while being whipped); Candide tries to justify these things with Pangloss’s philosophies. Slowly starting to doubt his old tutors beliefs. Eventually Candide actually finds his old philosopher Pangloss rowing as a slave in the galley of a ship they were taking to find Cunegonde. Throughout the rest of the novel Candide grows bitter toward Pangloss, he has to live with Cunegonde, who he has become ugly and mean. In the end of this novel Voltaire justly brings us to a close by basically telling Pangloss (Reapresenting the aristocracy, and Kingdom) to shut up and “Cultivate our garden” Pg. 119. Thoroughly showing his disdain and hatred for Pangloss.