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Essay on candide voltaire optimism
Optimism and Pessimism in Voltaire’s Candide Essay
Optimism and Pessimism in Voltaire’s Candide Essay
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In Voltaire’s Candide, the topic of optimism is prevalent throughout the novel. The reader is able to see within the novel Voltaire’s opinion on optimism and how he therefore satirizes it to reflect his outlook. Satire, defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices (Oxford dictionaries), is shown though Voltaire’s use of the idea of optimism and how that thus reflects his feeling towards it being expressed in his time.
Pangloss is Voltaire’s main vehicle in voicing his opinion on optimism. Pan meaning everything and gloss meaning to be shiny or to skim over something display how Pangloss is as a character within the novel. No matter how pessimistic the outlook of a situation may be, Pangloss constantly overlooks this pessimism to see a positive outcome or result because of the philosophies he follows. Because Pangloss is a role model for Candide, Candide is constantly trying to see the light in situations although he might not always believe what he is frequently trying to tell himself. When Candide is reunited with...
The author, Voltaire, wrote in the Enlightenment period, a literary movement characterized by the rising concern of philosophy, science, and politics. Voltaire’s writing was influenced by the Enlightenment movement to create awareness of global issues. This is evident in the repeated tragedies Candide stumbles upon. Social issues, corrupt authority figures, and war are real world topics that Voltaire chooses to address in Candide. The satirical nature of Candide allows for an in-depth discussion between the characters regarding the problems they face and the problems of the people they meet, creating a perspective that the audience is forced to look through. It is also a coming of age story, not just for Candide, but for the rising awareness in global issues. Voltaire’s inclusion of the issues of his time reflect the severity of those issues. Satire is used as a reaction to a society’s hypocrisy. Candide as a satirical piece reflects what people have neglected to pay attention to. Coming into a new era of awareness and responsibility leads Candide to reflect on the live he lived in Westphalia and the people he encountered across
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
Throughout Candide the author, Voltaire, demonstrates the character’s experiences in a cruel world and his fight to gain happiness. In the beginning Candide expects to achieve happiness without working for his goal and only taking the easy way out of all situations. However, by the end of the book the character
Voltaire uses satire in order to attempt to bring about change by mocking the thinking of many Enlightenment philosophers of his time. Voltaire also utilizes other literary devices such as irony and sarcasm to make his satire more effective. One example of Voltaire’s use of satire is evidently clear in the way he talks about the belief of Candide and Pangloss as their world being “the best of all possible worlds”. Voltaire depicts both Candide and Pangloss suffering immense and repeated tragedies yet still believing that their world is “the best of all possible worlds”. Another clear example of satirical irony comes in Candide’s encounter with Eldorado. Candide and his “valet” Cacambo come accross Eldorado which is a seemingly perfect world that is
...reflected critically on the events of his life—even just the two examples used in this essay--, he would probably find that this is not the best of all possible worlds as it is rife with evil and suffering. With this novella, Voltaire made the point that some spend a lifetime justifying—not rationalizing—the events of the world because those same people are too busy attempting to prove one theory rather than develop others that may fit reality more. When Candide dismisses Pangloss at the end of the novella by saying, “Let us cultivate our garden,” he is rejecting Pangloss’ philosophy, turning over a new leaf, and taking charge of his own life and giving it its own meaning free of Pangloss’ influence.
In his work, Candide, Voltaire uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century. Voltaire successfully criticizes religion, the military, and the philosophy of optimism.
However, along the way Voltaire introduces characters with distinctive worldviews and philosophies. Unique to the story of Candide is the character Pangloss, a philosopher of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-boobology and Candide’s teacher. In chapter one, Pangloss abruptly shares his philosophy that, “for since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end.” The tail goes on to say, “Candide listened attentively and believed innocently.” During their journey together certain situations cause Candide to question many of Pangloss’
In the beginning Candide, whom at this time is living in a German castle, was taught by the prominent philosopher, Pangloss. Pangloss teaches the ideals of Optimism. Throughout the novel Pangloss’s teachings becomes coined into one phrase, “all this is the best there is” (Voltaire, Candide, 13). During the start of the tragedies faced by Candide it is apparent that, though, everything may be horrible it is the best of all things. This suggests that Candide too believed in the optimistic world view. The reason why Candide holds on to the ideals of Optimism may be due to his ...
In Candide, Voltaire sought to point out the fallacy of Gottfried Leibniz's theory of optimism and the hardships brought on by the resulting inaction toward the evils of the world. Voltaire's use of satire, and its techniques of exaggeration and contrast highlight the evil and brutality of war and the world in general when men are meekly accepting of their fate.
Candide: A Satire On The Enlightenment. Works Cited Missing Candide is an outlandishly humorous, far-fetched tale by Voltaire satirizing the optimism espoused by the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. It is the story of a young man’s adventures throughout the world, where he witnesses evil and disaster. Throughout his travels, he adheres to the teachings of his tutor, Pangloss, believing that "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. " Candide is Voltaire’s answer to what he saw as an absurd belief proposed by the Optimists – an easy way to rationalize evil and suffering.
During the age of Enlightenment, the philosophes believed that reason could be used to explain everything. The philosophes believed that people could make the world a better place to live in. Voltaire is against such optimism. Ian Bell Says "The 'optimist' argument then, was complex and sophisticated, but like all ironists Voltaire chose to simplify it to the extent that it seemed complacent and absurd, and he went on to cast doubt on our chances of ever securing 'eternal happiness'"(1-2). According to Voltaire true happiness can only be experienced in an unreal world. The multitudes of disasters that Candide endures after leaving Eldorado culminate in his eventual abandonment of optimism. Candide loses four of his sheep laden with priceless jewels due to natural causes, and then sees his two remaining sheep stolen, and the local magistrate indifferent to the theft. "Certainly, [says Candide,] if everything goes well, it is in Eldorado and not in the rest of the world" (42). Candide goes a step further, "Oh Pangloss, cried Candide, you have no notion of these abominations! I'm through, I must give up your optimism after all. What's optimism? said Cacambo. Alas, said Candide, it is a mania for saying things are well when one is in hell" (40). Candide's enthusiastic view of life is contrasted with, and challenged by suffering that he endures throughout the book. Hence, Voltaire uses the book to satirize the foolishness of optimism.
The book Candide by Voltaire is a humorous satire constructed of many themes. Through his book, Voltaire expresses his views on life by criticizing many aspects of humanity at that time. He focused in war, religion, and love, but the main target of Voltaire's satire was a certain philosophy. All of the previous topics unite to ridicule the philosophy that, as the character Pangloss said, "things cannot be otherwise than as they are; for as all things have been created for some end, they must necessarily be created for the best end" (1).
Of course, because it is a satire, Candide continues to have a badly founded and overly optimistic view on the world, even though there are piles of evidence that would point to the contrary. Candide’s complete inability to form his own philosophies and views without adopting others’ is an element of the text because again, it is a satire, but also to highlight the absurdity of thinking that everything happens in order to maintain balance and keep things for the best. Candide’s naivety and almost painfully deliberate simplemindedness is used to represent mankind. At the time this was written, many people displayed similar much less exaggerated traits. By highlighting the complete absurdity of this way of thinking through Candide’s childlike repetition of other characters’ values and ideas, Voltaire illustrated that everything is not for the best in this not best of all possible worlds. He stated that one cannot simply float through life expecting good things to happen to him, not making any decisions for himself and relying on others for his ideas. It is crucial that we work for our happiness in life, that we cultivate our
Defining optimism and redefining the philosophies of the fictional Pangloss and the non-fictional Leibniz, Candid embarks on a mishap journey. From the very onset, Voltaire begins stabbing with satire, particularly at religion.
Voltaire's Candide is a novel which contains conceptual ideas and at the same time is also exaggerated. Voltaire offers sad themes disguised by jokes and witticism, and the story itself presents a distinctive outlook on life. The crucial contrast in the story deals with irrational ideas as taught to Candide about being optimistic, versus reality as viewed by the rest of the world.