The novel Candide was written by Voltaire in 1759.  It is a satirical critique of the prevailing views of society in the 18th century.  Voltaire, as one of the most important of the philosophes, wrote the story in order to highlight what he saw as some of the problems within the cultural milieu of the period.

          The novel follows the adventures of a young man from Westphalia named Candide as he traveled through Europe and Latin America looking for the love of his life and simultaneously avoiding arrest for the murders he had committed.  Candide had been raised in an aristocratic atmosphere, but he was forced to leave the castle in which he had grown up, because of an indiscretion with a young woman named Cunegonde.  Shortly after leaving the castle he was taken captive and forced into the army of the Bulgars.  After serving briefly in the military, he escaped and eventually reached Lisbon, where he was reunited with his teacher Pangloss.  Both he and Pangloss are punished in an auto-da-fé instigated by Church leaders.  He was saved by the servant of Cunegonde and was brought to her after recovering from his injuries, but during their brief meeting he killed two men in order to defend the honor of his supposed love.  Thus it was, that he and the two women had to flee to South America.  He was once again separated from Cunegonde and traveled through South America where, by accident, he found the land of Eldorado and gained great wealth while there.  On his return to Europe he was swindled out of much of his new found wealth, but he ultimately arrived safely and then stayed in Paris for a brief period of time.  Eventually he went to Venice, and then while on his way to Constantinople, he was finally reunited with his friends most of whom he had presumed to be dead.  The story ended with all of them on a farm trying to get along with each other.  Through his adventures Candide discovered the true meaning of life, which he found to be centered on working to improve one’s own existence and that of his fellow human beings.

          In spite of all the horrible things that happened throughout his journeys Candide continued to remind himself of what Dr. Pangloss told him while he was his pupil; that all that happens in the world, no matter how horrible it may be, is for the best.  The optimism of Pangloss was totally irrational because no matter what happened, whether it be the destruction of the castle by the Bulgars,  the deaths of innocent people caused by war, or even when Pangloss himself contracted syphilis from the baroness’ maid, were in Pangloss’ view “. . . necessary components of the best of all possible worlds” [p. 30].  In presenting this philosophical position, Voltaire was attacking what he saw as an irrational idealism that passively accepted the ills of society in order to maintain the existing order.  Voltaire attributed this view to the philosopher Leibniz.  This same passive optimism can be seen in Candide's persistent, and yet, misguided idealism which motivated his search for Cunegonde, whom he thought he loved even though his knowledge of her as a person was but superficial.

          Voltaire’s views on religion can be clearly seen in the novel by looking at two different episodes in which religion, and religious belief are mentioned.  The first episode occurred in Portugal after a terrible earthquake.  The city of Lisbon was massively damaged and the religious authorities decided to call an auto-da-fé in order to placate God and hopefully to prevent any further damage.  This was also meant to punish those heretics who, from the perspective of the clergy and the common folk, had no doubt caused the disaster by their impious beliefs.  The auto-da-fé incident in the novel bears a representational character and is thus an example of the prevailing evils of religious intolerance in the European world of the 18th century, and of the centuries preceding that time.  Voltaire was showing the evils inherent in organized religion which invested authority in certain individuals, who then attempted to control the beliefs of others in order to maintain their own power.  Voltaire contrasted this existing religious system with what he saw as a better and more rational system.  When Candide found the land of Eldorado, he discovered a land in which religious tolerance was the norm.  The people of Eldorado were monotheists, but their religion was not so much a religion of revelation, like Christianity, but was a religion of nature and reason.  There was no real organized or institutional structure to it; instead, it was based on the liberty of individual conscience, in which each person was his own priest.  Voltaire saw this type of religion as benign in that it allowed the individual to believe in God, but without the necessity of enforcing a standard on everyone by means of violence or terror.

          It is quite clear from reading the novel what Voltaire’s view of human nature was, for he saw human beings as in some sense selfish and violent.  The few persons who are portrayed as being altruistic, either end up dead, or they are so passive that their goodness has no effect on the world around them.  James the Anabaptist was an example of the former type of individual; Pangloss of the latter.  But it should not be thought that James was a pessimist, he was an optimist, but not of the same type as Pangloss.  He clearly rejected Pangloss’ views (cf. p. 27), he did not see the world through rose colored glasses, but he did hold that he could affect the world by doing good.  Thus he believed that he could change the world around him and in so doing help his fellow man.  It was this very belief that caused his death, because while they were all sailing near Lisbon he saved a man who had nearly fallen overboard, and in so doing he ultimately fell into the sea and was drown.   This leads us to another friend of Candide’s, named Martin.  Martin can be described as a realist, for he saw the world for what it was, he did not pretend that it was the best possible world; instead, he saw it warts and all.  In spite of this, Candide retained elements of optimism all the way through the story.  Though it was an optimism that was far different from that held by Pangloss.

          By the end of the story Candide realized the error of Pangloss.  Candide’s views had become a blend of Pangloss and Martin, he had become a realist like Martin, but he retained a certain amount of optimism.  His optimism is evident when he said, "that we must cultivate our garden" [p. 120].  He discovered the meaning of life in work, and the illusory love which he had for Cunegunde was thus replaced by work.  Work creates the person and at the same time it effects the world, and changes it for the better.  Instead of being passive as he had been all through the story, Candide had finally become active.  In this one sentence, the passive optimism of Pangloss and his acceptance of things as they were, was finally overcome.  At the same time Martin’s pessimism is overcome by the notion of work as well.

          Through this novel Voltaire was advocating the idea that life should be active, not passive; that people should be realists, not idealists; and that one is meant to create his life through his work.  This work ultimately influences both the individual human person and the world around them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Voltaire.  Candide:  Or Optimism.  (New York:  Penguin Classics, 1950).

Translated by John Butt.

Book Review:  Candide by Voltaire

by Steven Todd Kaster

Diablo Valley College

History 141:  History of Western Civilization since the Renaissance

Prof. Manuel Gonzales

28 June 2001

Copyright © 2001-2024 Steven Todd Kaster