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Christianity through the ages
The relationship between good and evil
The relationship between good and evil
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Recommended: Christianity through the ages
The problem of evil is a question that many philosophers have attempted to explain in their perspective. This particular problem made many theorists question the existence of evil in the world when God is claimed to be omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Because this challenging inquiry was illuminated, it challenged the existence of God and His power to be good. In this paper, I will support Voltaire’s argument in Candide against Leibniz’s theory of optimism in the Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil.
François-Marie Arouet, as known as Voltaire, was a man who flourished in the French Enlightenment—a time where society strives to become better through reason and knowledge—in the 18th century. During this time period, France was still under the heavily Catholic, influencing the political structure of the country. However, that did not stop Voltaire from stating his perspective on Christianity. “[Christianity] is assuredly the most ridiculous, the most absurd and the most bloody religion which has ever infected this world” (Mathews). Unlike many philosophers before him, Voltaire did not live under the major threat that the Church would break down his door and exterminate him for heresy; however, he could have damaged his reputation. Many philosophers still did not appreciate the presence of the Church everywhere in France; therefore, some have criticized the church and literary pieces that support the theological thinking. For instance, Voltaire wrote a satire, Candide, against Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz’s Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil. Voltaire mocked the statement, “metaphysical considerations concern the nature of the possible and of the ...
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...upplies during his time, it would be very possible that he would use it and compose a different perspective on the problem of evil. Voltaire, on the other hand, would have gained more concrete evidence to prove his point: this suffering is not from God himself, but natural causes proven by science. So, if God was not the cause of these events, then it is not God trying to prove a point and make the world, thus crippling Leibniz’s idea.
Voltaire’s argument in Candide made many strong points against Leibniz’s theory of optimism in the Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil. This question on why evil exists in the world should not have been answered because God decided that it was best for the world; there is suffering everywhere and if it was judged as a whole rather than an event, then there would be little to no good in the world.
Throughout Voltaire’s Candide, the implications of religious symbols and figures are used to satirize the philosophy of paternal optimism by highlighting hypocrisy in the Church. The role of the Church in historical context offers significant insight into the analysis of the text. Candide was written in 1759, a period where people started questioning the authority of the Church to explore reason as a means for acquiring knowledge. With this in mind, Candide’s religious implications are relevant with consideration to the time period. By stressing the theme of institutional hypocrisy and separation between the Church and religious values, Voltaire invalidates the Church’s role as a supreme authority and thus addresses man’s need for an altered
In chapter 5 of Candide, the Enlightenment and the birth of tolerance were on full display. In Candide, the Enlightenment thinkers’ view of the optimum world is challenged through the shipwreck and the satiric explanations of the Lisbon Bay and Lisbon Earthquake. Voltaire continues to use ironically tragic events to test Pangloss’s optimistic philosophy, which attempts to explain evil. The use of grotesque and naive behavior between individuals in this chapter makes the reader question Pangloss’s irrational thinking with the cause and effects of the events.
Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire’s novella, Candide, incorporates many themes, yet concentrates a direct assault on the ideas of Leibniz and Pope. These two well-known philosophers both held the viewpoint that the world created by God was the best of all possibilities, a world of perfect order and reason. Pope specifically felt that each human being is a part of God’s great and all-knowing plan or design for the world. Voltaire had a very opposite point of view in that he saw a world of needless pain and suffering all around him. Voltaire, a deist, believed that God created the world, yet he felt that the people were living in a situation that was anything but perfect.
In this paper, I will use the writings of John Hick and Richard Swinburne to dispute the problem of evil argument. After I first elaborate on the P.O.E., I will give support for God’s existence with regards to the problem of evil. Then, I will address further counterarguments
Candide is well known for its critique of optimism by Voltaire. The title character, along with his companions, bears many hardships throughout the novel and philosophizes about the nature and necessity of good in the world. Whether there is truly any good in the world is debated between the characters, particularly between the very discouraged Martin and Candide, who carries with him the optimistic words of Dr. Pangloss, a believer in the good nature of the world. While the characters debate why man must carry such burdens, Voltaire shows us that it is dealing with the bad that makes us human. While discussing Cunegonde Martin says to Candide, "I wish" that she may one day make you happy. But I very much doubt she will. ‘You are a bit hard,’ said Candide. ‘That’s because I’ve lived,’ said Martin.
An enlightenment philosopher François-Marie Arouet, commonly known as Voltaire, wrote Candide. Voltaire “was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state (Wikipedia).” He was born November 21st 1694 into an upper-middle class family. Voltaire started showing an interest in writing at a young age. Candide was published in 1579. It was a French Satire. A satire is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues (Oxford Dictionary).” Candide mocks the ideas of the philosopher Leibnitz though the character of Pangloss because Leibnitz believed in an optimistic world and Voltaire feels that thinking this way makes one a hypocrite. Candide defines optimism as “a mania for insisting that all is well when things are going badly (Voltaire, p. 48).” Throughout the book, many themes and symbols are present.
Voltaire makes sure the reader can spot and see hypocrisy of religion and how they may judge others without following their own rules. "Alas!" said the old woman, "I have a shrewd suspicion of a reverend Grey Friar, who stayed last night in the same inn with us at Badajos. God preserve me from judging rashly, but he came into our room twice, and he set out upon his journey long before us." The person who stole Cunégonde’s money is a religious friar and he left before them which means he did not want to be caught. Religion is belief but only rarely, therefore most of the time sadly religion is hypocrisy and that is exactly how Voltaire wanted his readers to see it. With all his satire and sarcasm he made sure they see what religion is.
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.
Voltaire uses the episode of “The storm, the shipwreck, the earthquake, and what became of Dr. Pangloss, of Candide, and of Jacques the Anabaptist” to speak about the idea of nature being good being false. Through the use of various characters and episodes, Voltaire criticizes and attacks religion, social class structure, and the idea that nature is good by creating situations in which he shows his opinion on the overall flaws of society.
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 much 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. Though he was by no means a pessimist, Voltaire refused to believe that what happens is always for the best.The Age of Enlightenment is a term applied to a wide variety of ideas and advances in the fields of philosophy, science, and medicine. The primary feature of Enlightenment philosophy is the belief that people can actively work to create a better world. A spirit of social reform characterized the political ideology of Enlightenment philosophers. While Voltaire’s Candide is heavily characterized by the primary concerns of the Enlightenment, it also criticizes certain aspects of the movement. It attacks the idea that optimism, which holds that rational thought can inhibit the evils perpetrated by human beings.
Voltaire's Candide uses anti-heroism as an object of mockery against the philosophers of the Enlightenment. Candide, the hero of the novel travels around the world where he encounters many difficulties. During his travels, he sticks to the teaching of his tutor, Doctor Pangloss, believing that "everything is for the best" (3). Voltaire points out the illogicality of this doctrine, "if Columbus had not caught, on an American island, this sickness which attacks the source of generation [...] we should have neither chocolate or cochineal" (8). The sheer stupidity of these illogical conclusions points out Voltaire's problem with most optimists: the illogical degree to which they would carry their doctrine. Voltaire would argue that noses were not designed for spectacles, but rather spectacles were designed for preexisting noses. Pangloss's interpretation of cause and effect is so ignorant as to be comical. While Candide tells an interesting story, it is more important as a satire. However, this does not prove Voltaire is a pessimist.
... Although he advocated religious tolerance, he believed that any one church should not have absolute power. By the time he was executed, he had already brought about the end of the power and right of the church to torture France. People in France still are not as faithful to the Catholic Church as they had been before Voltaire had introduced them to the idea of “reasoning”. The Enlightenment is held to be the source of many modern ideas, such as the primary values of freedom and reason.
“Ecrasons l’infame,” which is interpreted, “We must crush the vile thing.” This is the expression Voltaire used to articulate his feelings for organized religion. With many natural theists soon to follow his path, Voltaire expressed his hatred for cultural religions, opting for a universal God of nature. Given a few more centuries, Darwin would have given Voltaire the scientific theory to support his desire for atheism. But alas, with no other theory in place, intelligent individuals of 18th century France were forced to use creationism to explain the world in its beauty and organization. This, as previously stated, was not a problem for Voltaire. His issue was the moral implications that separated religious groups, often to the point of war with one another. Religious intolerance was a subject he dealt with in many of his works, especially Candide. The religious characters in this work were mostly negative with the exception of Brethren predecessor, the Anabaptist, and the old woman. His opinion of various religions was also established in Candide, although it was simply a vague one, clumping all organized religions into an “evil superstitions” category. The conclusion of this work also gave us insight on Voltaire’s view of religion as either positive or detrimental to society and the individual.
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).
Perhaps the most interesting satire on religion is the utopia Voltaire creates in the hidden kingdom.