Voltaire’s novella Candide was written as a satire that focuses on the journeys of Candide. It criticizes the Enlightenment’s philosophy in many ways, such theodicy, Leibniz’s rationalism or philosophical optimism, and the complacency exhibited by stoic philosophical thinking. Candide serves as a way to explore some of the new philosophical ideals spreading across Europe in the Enlightenment. Voltaire explores these ideas through the abundance of action in the plot. Voltaire also pairs the plot’s events with characters who represent the different schools in Enlightenment philosophy. Pangloss represents both theodicy as well the philosophy of optimism. The validity of different schools is analyzed by characters such as Pangloss. Voltaire’s fundamental disagreements with Enlightenment values are communicated through the different media Voltaire uses. Voltaire criticizes the Leibnizian philosophy of optimism by using Pangloss. Pangloss also serves to critique the concept of cause-and-effect. Pangloss’s personality believes there are greater causes for each effect than man can comprehend. Voltaire believes in evil, but does not dismiss it so readily. Voltaire also believes that not all bad things happen for a reason (Roth). Voltaire ends the work with a criticism of the inaction that is caused by philosophical pondering. This piece is an overall critique of Enlightenment thought, not just specific Enlightenment ideas.
Voltaire’s era was marked by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s philosophy, which claimed that the world we live in is “the best possible world” (Look). Leibniz also explains the existence of evil as a part of an unfathomable plan. This is the basis for theodicy, also called philosophical optimism. Candide’s Pangloss is the best example of this philosophy, using Leibniz’s phrase “best of all worlds”. Voltaire makes use of Pangloss however to show how absurd this philosophy is. Pangloss once justified the Lisbon earthquake with the statement “all is well, for if Lisbon has a volcano, then there can be no other place, as it is impossible to imagine that the things would be anyplace else” (Voltaire 432). This statement is absurd and is used to justify a disaster. It is difficult to see what benefit such a disaster served. Voltaire extends Voltaire’s critique on theodicy, to human affairs. Candide is shocked when he learns Pangloss has survived. Pangloss suffers from a sexually-transmitted disease at the time of Candide’s reunion, but his optimism is not affected. Candide is Pangloss’s reunited companion. When asked about his disease, Pangloss replies, “It was an essential part to the best of everything… If Columbus hadn’t brought it back from an American island… We wouldn’t have cochineal or chocolate” (Voltaire). Voltaire uses extreme comparisons to attack Leibniz’s optimism.
Pangloss’ philosophy is characterized by the concept of cause and effects, which is similar to Enlightenment ideas. Voltaire rejects this idea. Pangloss makes it clear that everything in the world has a cause-and-effect relationship. Pangloss explains this best in the opening chapter, when he says: “Observe how noses have been made to accommodate spectacles. Legs… were made to be breeched. So, there are breeches. This is a flawed and inacceptable explanation of what things are. Voltaire makes these kinds of comparisons in order to criticize Enlightenment philosophy’s rationalism. Voltaire claims that philosophers of this era used reason to try to understand the world. Overreliance on rationality is reflected in explanations like the one mentioned above. Irrational reasoning has been accepted as rational. Pangloss’s reasoning is devoid of logic, since legs and noses are not necessary to explain spectacles or breeches. Voltaire believed that not all things needed to be rationally explained. It is likely that Voltaire’s deist views, according to which God created the earth but did nothing to interfere with it (Roth), are what explains this. Voltaire was not like most Enlightenment philosophers who sought an explanation to every event. He believed that there may not be one.
Voltaire ends the work by criticizing philosophical thought as a whole. Candide’s focus changes once the storyline has ended. He no longer wants to debate Pangloss and Martin’s philosophical views. Candide ends the novella by interrupting Pangloss when he is about to explain to him why this world is best. Voltaire’s final argument is based on Candide’s change of mind. Candide struggles to identify himself with Pangloss or Martin’s opposing philosophies throughout the entire piece. Candide has no desire to think about these philosophical ideas by the end. Voltaire critiques inaction when philosophical thinking consumes one’s mind. The characters’ philosophical thoughts did not stop all the terrible things that happened to them, so it is almost insignificant. Voltaire asserts that it is more important to be a good person than to have a great philosophy. Voltaire concludes with a warning. He warns his audience against becoming overwhelmed by philosophy or rationalism.
Candide ends by mocking traditional Enlightenment ideas and cautioning its readers about philosophical inaction. Pangloss’s purpose is to refute Leibniz’s optimism and theodicy, and to show that not everything has a reason. Voltaire ends the work by cautioning his audience to not be paralyzed by philosophical thought. Candide has finally learned to simply live after experiencing events that many humans can’t fathom. Candide, the character presented to readers in this novel, is shown as being naive and passive. He allows events to take place rather than taking charge of his life. Candide’s dependence on Pangloss and his doubts about its validity are also evident. Candide grows up and learns that relying on philosophical ideals to live is not effective. The piece focuses on the notion that living is about actions and not philosophy. This is a radical point in the Enlightenment, when rationality and reason were at the forefront of thought. Voltaire warned against becoming too dependent on the Enlightenment ideas.
