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Voltaire criticism of religion in candide quotes
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Voltaire is the philosopher I would choose to listen to if I was Louis XVI. I really agree with Voltaire that each religion will fight or disagree because one always has to be right and how we should all get along even if we are different religions. At the end of his dictionary he states that we should all become Jews, and while he has a good point I also disagree with Voltaire because I don’t think it would be fair for everyone to have to be one religion and I think that would create more conflict in the end. What got me to really like Voltaire is his statement of “it is clear that the individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of the same opinion, is a monster” because I think that some of the philosophers thought crime was more okay and Voltaire see it as a monster.
Many philosophers and Enlightenment thinkers believed that “everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” The existence of evil, to these philosophs, was thought to be an indication that there could be an imperfect God. If evil exists in the world then God must either not have total power, or not be completely good. They believed that if God is thought to be perfect, then the world that has been created must be perfect as well. In the book Candide by Voltaire, Voltaire disagrees with the idea of a perfect God. His opinion allows him to satirize the idea of a perfect world. During his time, Voltaire was extremely unpopular with not only the government, but also the church authorities. Voltaire believed that evil prematurely exists in humans leading him to mockingly touch on the ideas of religion, the power of reason, the tyranny of the church and the equality of all beings.
While churches are being thrown up into the air and theocracies turned upside down, Voltaire dismantles beliefs and hierarchies, arguing that none of these establishments are as holy as they preach to be. His use of cutting sarcasm and cynicism in absurd circumstances turns the reader against the institutions of religion, and towards finding his own beliefs and interpretations of religion. Voltaire doesn’t question the realness of God, only the bandwagon mindset of those following religious institutions
The philosopher’s main idea of equality can be seen through the ideas and thoughts of Voltaire and Mary Wollstonecraft. In Document B it says “If one religion only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary (unrestrained); if there were but two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace.” Voltaire, a French Enlightenment philosopher, says if religious choice is restricted then bitterness arises and different religious groups will go after each other's throats. He believes that if freedom of religion is allowed within a state than people can live peacefully with one another since no one would feel superior to another. John Locke’s ideas on creating a government by the people and Voltaire’s ideas on practicing any religion shows how many enlightenment philosophers wanted people to live peacefully with others and the society.
Use of Satire to Target Religion, Military, and Optimism in Voltaire's Candide. 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. Religious leaders are the targets of satire throughout Candide.
...ugh powerful, intelligent use of satire, Voltaire makes his personal views clear and encourages the reader to challenge the way in which religion and the State operate.
Voltaire went to prison twice and spent multiple years in exile. The experiences he went through in his lifetime helped him develop his views on religion. He believed that everyone had the right to choose their religion and be free to practice that religion where they want. There would be conflicts between religious citizens and the government if there wasn’t freedom of religion. This choice should be available in England, according to Voltaire, to prevent problems from arising. “If one religion only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there were two, the people would cut one another's throats; but as there are such multitude, they all live happy and in peace.” The choice of religion belongs solely to the individual and shouldn’t be able to be taken away from a
Voltaire refused to believe that what happens is always for the best. Voltaire shows the primary concerns during the period of Enlightenment, but also criticizes certain aspects of the movement. He attacks the idea that good prevails over evil because he believes that human beings perpetrate evil. He laughs at Candide for believing all the corruption that is occurring and religious intolerance.
Religion has always been something that has been argued for centuries long ago. Voltaire has never been afraid to clearly speak his opinions on how he sees religion really is. Many have argued whether religion is actual belief or just a lot of hypocrisy from religion towards the world. The way Voltaire portrays religion in Candide it is some belief but mostly hypocrisy due to the secrets being held and all of the lies being told. He was never a big fan of religion and he satires it a lot and reveals what some religion really does. What Voltaire says is that religion seems fair but it is deep within lies that they do not follow their own rules and he addresses that by showing the many examples when they do something they should not do. Voltaire shows it with sarcasm and he uses wit as well seeing if the reader can notice how it would be ironic for religion to be portrayed in that manner.
Overall Voltaire is successful in promoting his ideas and beliefs. It is clear he wants to see a drastic change in religion, politics and morals in the pre-modern period. Throughout his novel Candide he is able to criticise society with a light hearted mockery but also with a seriousness using extreme examples to address his points and concerns. It is arguable that his ambitions were far too high at a time of hope and debate in the 18th century.
The views of philosophers such as Voltaire are considered to be the source of many essential changes in countries such as America and France. His views on religion, government, and freedom are what people remember most because they have not died out in today’s society.
“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.
Albert Camus was an existentialist. He was also not a religious person and even though he was born and raised a Catholic; he soon quit his religious faith and turned into an atheist, believing that religion was “philosophical suicide”. He described his attitude toward religion in the lines “I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is.” Yet, it is seen that even though he denied being an existentialist, he is seen to have ‘brooded over such questions as the meaning of life in the face of death.’ “Men are convinced of your arguments, your sincerity, and the seriousness of your efforts only by your death.” This quote shows that Camus believed death was what created people in society and brought their life into the spotlight.
Voltaire’s Candide often encompasses all forms of organized religion in its satirical criticism. Don Issachar, a Jewish banker and owner of Cunegonde, is depicted as mingy and wicked in comparison to James, the Anabaptist, who is portrayed as an arrogantly optimistic man who ultimately dies as a result in his inability to turn away from someone “in need”. The Inquisitor is a man of unwavering devotion in his religion and how he interprets it, and then Brother Giroflee serves to contrast the Inquisitor as an unwilling servant to is religion. These four characters not only serve as one another’s foils but also as examples of Voltaire’s mockery of religion.
Voltaire was a man who said what he wanted and didn’t care about the consequences and how he wanted people to hear what he had to say, even if it rattled the monarchy. He was a philosopher, who supported the enlightenment and was eventually exiled to England. He was a man of reason and if people were going out of their way to hurt or destroy something he saw that as wrongful. When you mentioned him in class and how he wanted to correct the criminal justice system in France because they still used torture and he believed that it was useless and had no purpose.
One of the most common struggles that every person on this globe faces is figuring out who they are, finding their ‘self’. This is a stage that often occurs more than once in your lifetime and can sometimes last relatively long. It is not easy to find yourself and to create a life based around that self. Often times, the individuals that have the hardest time with discovering themselves are college students. When experiencing doubt and despair, one might look up to a guiding figure, such as a parent, professor, or mentor. If one is feeling up to it, they may even look toward a philosopher. Regardless of the decade or the philosopher, many scholars have spent time working on their own self and have shared their experience with the audience. Endless amounts of individuals from De Beauvoir, Descartes, Sartre, and Voltaire have discussed various views on the self and the stages that human beings go through on the path of life. In discussing their independent views on the self, we can understand the importance of constructing our own identity through the works of Sartre and Voltaire.