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. cadence and again, Voltaire clearly portrays his view that this is non the best of all possible worlds. The characters of the report card 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 atomic number 18 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 description of woe. Throughout most of the book, Voltaire pokes fun at Leibnizs that according to the hierarchical twist of monads that this is best of all possible worlds. Candide and Pangloss be the main characters used to roast 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 born(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, plainly lastly comes to reject his teachings. In chapter 3 after meeting John the Anabaptist, Candide affirms, instanter I am convinced that my Master Pangloss told me truth when he state that everything was for the best in this world. However, in the beginning of Chapter 4 only a couple of(prenominal) p... ...t this is not the best of all possible worlds. Though some honourable things happen along their adventures, Candides fellow adventurers face great misfortune. Eventually they are forced to live a life of labor-not at all congruous 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 emerge 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. young York Barrons Educational Series, Inc., 1998. Lowers, James K, ed. Cliff Notes on Voltaires Candide. Lincoln Cliff Notes, Inc. 1995. Voltaire. Candide. mod York Viking Publishers, 1996.