Candide and the Enlightenment

Voltaire was a very cynical satirist who lived in 18th century France. While in exile for critiquing the French Church, he stayed in England who was, at that time, several years ahead of France in regards to social evolution. Here, he witnessed a different government and a different corporation. Upon his return to France, he realized how different legislation was. At this time, enlightened thought was in line with lighthearted thought. One of the most pro be philosophers was the creator of this theory of optimism, G.W. von Leibniz. Leibniz claimed that everything that happened was perpetually for the best and that there was no other way it could observe happened. Though most enlightenment writers believed in this view, Voltaire did non. Thus, he occlude out to write Candide, which would become one of the most persistent and most influential satires ever written, even after the golf club it was written for had died off. In the book, Voltaire is critici zing the enlightenment philosophy of optimism, corrupt and out-of-date institutions, and the hypocrisy of people in general. In the book, Candide starts off as an ignorant boy in Westphalia, who is taught by Dr. Pangloss that everything that happens is for the best and that it could not happen any other way. It is quite apparent that Dr. Pangloss represents Leibniz.

Thus, Candide believes in this optimistic theory and goes through the whole book disagreeable to believe this thought. Here, he falls in love with the line of work leaders daughter Cunégonde. One night, he is found petting her and is promp tly exiled because he is not of high nice c! lass. This starts a chain of events that really show the backwards order that Candide (and Voltaire) lived in. throughout the book, Candide goes through a battle, an earthquake, a gauntlet of 2,000 men, a thrashing, a murder, and several other misfortunes. After each incident, he unwisely thinks that this is all for the best and was meant to happen. Voltaire uses these unbelievable events to show...If you want to delineate a full essay, order it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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