Candide Optimism Essay - 1904 Words

Candide, by Voltaire, is a satire written based on the people, events, and thoughts of the 1750s and was published in France, Italy, and the Netherlands. These included Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, most religious groups, the earthquake of Lisbon in 1755, and the idea of Optimism presented by many philosophers. The idea of Optimism is based on the idea presented by most religious figures, that God is here and perfect, therefore anything that happens in life is there for a reason and not just a mistake made by God. The journey of Candide starts with what seems to be an innocent kiss shared between the beautiful Cunegonde, this is what truly starts Candide’s belief in Optimism as presented by his teacher Pangloss. Only moments later they are†¦show more content†¦He also wanted to bring attention to the many problems of the time. This has been observed by many that know the history behind the book and who have read the book. In Candide, Voltaire is also making fun of philos ophers, and philosophical ideas, mainly that of Optimism which Voltaire seems to find idiotic. In Candide, the philosopher Pangloss is supposed to be making fun of one of the main philosophers at the time with the name Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Voltaire also wrote Candide to show the idiocy behind optimism and to show the true reality. All throughout Candide, Voltaire is pointing out how no matter what the characters had done they ended up living miserable lives. Even the tender Candide, that affectionate lover, upon seeing his fair Cunegonde all sun-burnt, with bloodshot eyes, a withered neck, her face wrinkled, and her arms red and scaly, started back with horror; but recovering himself, he advanced towards her out of good manners.1 This shows that through all of the hardship that Candide went through just to marry his beautiful Cunegonde, he ended up having to marry her just to stick to his promise. Yet somehow, this also shows him to be a liar because instead of telling her his feelings have changed, he goes along with a lie to make her happy, no matter how miserable it may make him. Even though he had helped many people, sacrificing his own time, effort, and money, up until now, he would still feel guilty because he may feel selfish.Show MoreRelated Voltaires Candide as an Attack on Optimism Essays1265 Words   |  6 PagesVoltaires Attack on Optimism in Candide      Ã‚   Leibnitz emphasized, in his Discours de Metaphysique (Discourse on Metaphysics) (1686) the role of a benevolent creator. He called the constituent components of the universe monads, and while the philosophy of monads is of little concern to readers of Candide, the conclusion which Leibnitz drew from these monads is crucial to an understanding of optimism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leibnitz argued that all of these monads were linked in a complex chainRead More Voltaire Exposes the Fallacy of Optimism in Candide Essay1168 Words   |  5 PagesVoltaire was the French author of the novella Candide, also known as Optimism (Durant and Durant 724). Famous as a playwright and essayist, Voltaire’s Candide is the book where he tries to point out the fallacy of Gottfried William von Leibnizs theory of Optimism. He uses satire, and techniques of exaggeration to contrast highlight the evil and brutality of war and the world in general when men are meekly accepting of their fate. Leibniz, a German philosopher and mathematician of Voltaires timeRead MoreOptimism as a Theme for Candide Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesOptimism as a Theme for Candide Just as on the title, Candide, or Optimism, Optimism is also used as a major theme. Voltaires satire of philosophical optimism is one of the major issues of Candide. Throughout the story, satirical references to the best of all possible worlds contrast with natural catastrophes and human wrongdoing. According to Wikipedia, optimism, the opposite of pessimism, is a lifeview where the world is looked upon the as a positive place. Optimists generally believe thatRead MoreOptimism and Pessimism in Voltaire’s Candide Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesVoltaire’s Candide, we are taken by the hand through an adventure which spanned two continents, several countries, and to a multitude of adverse characters. The protagonist, Candide, became the recipient of the horrors which would be faced by any person in the 18th century. But Candide was always accompanied with fellows sufferers, two of which our focus will lay, Pangloss and Martin. In equal respects, both are embodiments of di fferent philosophies of the time: Pangloss the proponent of Optimism and MartinRead MoreEssay on Use of Satire to Attack Optimism in Voltaires Candide1358 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Satire to Attack Optimism in Voltaires Candide       In its time, satire was a powerful tool for political assault on Europes corrupt and deteriorating society. Voltaires Candide uses satire to vibrantly and sarcastically portray optimism, a philosophical view from the Enlightenment used to bury the horrors of 18th century life: superstition, sexually transmitted diseases, aristocracy, the church, tyrannical rulers, civil and religious wars, and the cruel punishment of the innocentRead MoreJonathan Swift’s Essay A Modest Proposal, and Voltaire’s Novella, Candide999 Words   |  4 Pagesworks of literature that employ similar elements of satire, whether the story is long or short, essay or novella. In these two works, the authors bring light to ongoing social, political, and philosophical issues of their time and age. The two works I am referring to are Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay, A Modest Proposal, and Voltaire’s novella, Candide, or Optimism. In both A Modest Proposal and Candide, there is a portrayal of irony, cold logic and reasoning rather than emotion, and misguided philosophyRead More Essay on Voltaire’s Candide: A Typical Enlightenment Work671 Words   |  3 PagesCandide as a Typical Enlightenment Work      Ã‚  Ã‚   Candide on the surface is a witty story. However when inspected deeper it is a philippic writing against people of an uneducated status. Candide is an archetype of these idiocracies, for he lacks reason and has optimism that is truly irking, believing that this is the best of all possible worlds. Thus Voltaire uses a witty, bantering tale on the surface, but in depth a cruel bombast against the ignoramuses of his times.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CandideRead MoreAnalysis Of Voltaire s Candide 964 Words   |  4 PagesCandide is a French satire that was first published in 1759 by Voltaire, who was a philosopher during the Enlightenment Age. It is a story about a young man, Candide, who is a follower of Leibnizian optimism. Candide witnesses and experiences many hardships in the world that puts his life at risk and tests the strength of his beliefs. During Candide’s many adventures, he faces many historical events that Voltaire uses to simplify subtle philosophies and cultural traditions, by highlighting theirRead More Candide by Voltaire Essay example1218 Words   |  5 Pagesthe author of the novella Candide, also known as Optimism. The the novella, Voltaire portrays the idea of Optimism as being illogical and absurd. In Candide, Voltaire satirizes the doctrine of Optimism, an idea that was greatly used during the Enlightenment time period by philosophers. In this narrati ve, Candide is a young man who goes through a series of undertakings and ventures around the the globe where he experiences evil and adversity. Throughout his journeys, Candide maintained the ideas ofRead MoreCompare and Contrast Happines in Candide, Rasselas, Essay on Man1496 Words   |  6 Pagesviews on the matter of happiness. Alexander Pope talks about the relationship and purpose man has to the universe in An Essay on Man, Voltaire wrote about living in blind optimism with a false notion of happiness in Candide, and Samuel Johnson wrote The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, in which the main characters are on a quest to find happiness. Alexander Pope’s, An Essay on Man, tries to answer the question many have had about happiness and how to obtain it. In a time where religion was