Voltaires Candide as an Attack on Optimism Essay -- Candide essays

Voltaires Attack on Optimism in Candide 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 ism 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. Leibnitz argued that all of these monads were linked in a complex chain of cause and effect and that this linking had been do by a divine creator as he created the harmonious universe. Since he was benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient, he logically would create the best of all possible worlds. Hence, everything that happens in the universe is part of this greater plan, and thus moldiness be for the best. Humans cannot appreciate how the evils encountered in every day life contribute to the best of universes and world(a) harmony, but they do, nonetheless. Optimism was attractive to many bec ause it answered a profound philosophical question that mankind had been grappling with since the beginning of faith if God is omnipotent and benevolent, then wherefore is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way out of this philosophical dilemma God has made everything for the best, and even though one might experience personal misfortune, God (via your misfortune) is still helping the greater good. Voltaires experiences led him to dismiss the idea that this is the best of all possible worlds. Examining the last and destruction, both man-made and natural (including the Lisbon earthquake) Voltaire concluded that everything was not for the best. Bad things do ha... ...e respond, in closing, to his friend the Optimist? That is very well put, said Candide, but we must cultivate our garden (75). Works Cited and Consulted Bottiglia, William. Candides Garden. Voltaire A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Durant, Will, Ariel Durant. The Story of Civilization Part IX The Age of Voltaire. New York Simon and Schuster, 1965. Frautschi, R.L. Barrons alter Approach to Voltaire Candide. New York Barrons Educational Series, Inc., 1968. Lowers, James K, ed. Cliff Notes on Voltaires Candide. Lincoln Cliff Notes, Inc. 1995. Richter, Peyton. Voltaire. Boston Twayne Publishers, 1980. Voltaires Candide and the Critics. California Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1996. Voltaire. Candide. New York Viking Publishers, 1998.