Essay on Voltaires Candide - Fallacy of Optimism Exposed

Fallacy of Optimism Exposed in Candide In Candide, Voltaire paints a dismal and satirical view of the world. Voltaire paints a pessimistic portrait of a nave youth who is raised to believe that this is best of all worlds. succession and again, Voltaire clearly portrays his view that this is not the best of all possible worlds. The characters of the twaddle face great adversity. In chapter 10, Cunegonde states that her misfortune is so great that she does not see how the old womans story of woe can surpass her own. In chapters 11 and 12 the old woman then goes onto tell of her misfortune. When she finishes Candide and Cunegonde be amazed at the hard times this woman has faced. At the project of the old woman, Candide and Cunegonde ask others on the ship relate their adventures, and sure enough, the others on the boat have stories that can match or surpass Cunegondes rehearsal of woe. Throughout most of the book, Voltaire pokes fun at Leibnizs that according to the hierarchic al mental synthesis of monads that this is best of all possible worlds. Candide and Pangloss are the main characters used to jest at the belief that this is the best of all possible worlds. Pangloss is a blind optimist he refused to see things being anything other than the best. No matter what sort of innate(p) disaster or misfortune falls upon someone Pangloss heralds it is being for the best. Candide-the nave follower of Pangloss-is first a blind follower of Pangloss, entirely lastly comes to reject his teachings. In chapter 3 after meeting John the Anabaptist, Candide affirms, direct I am convinced that my Master Pangloss told me truth when he express that everything was for the best in this world. However, in the beginning of Chapter 4 only few p... ...t this is not the best of all possible worlds. Though some undecomposed things happen along their adventures, Candides fellow adventurers face great misfortune. Eventually they are forced to live a life of labor-not at all meet their noble ancestry. Though greatly disappointed with their outcome all but Candide insist on claiming that all is for the best. The complete absurdity that one could go through as much and end up in the specify where they end up and still claim that all was for the best furthers Voltaires belief in the fallacy of systematic optimism. Works Cited and Consulted Frautschi, R.L. Barrons Simplified Approach to Voltaire Candide. new-sprung(prenominal) York Barrons Educational Series, Inc., 1998. Lowers, James K, ed. Cliff Notes on Voltaires Candide. Lincoln Cliff Notes, Inc. 1995. Voltaire. Candide. newborn York Viking Publishers, 1996.