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 comp wiznts of the universe monads, and eon the philosophy of monads is of little concern to readers of Candide, the conclusion which Leibnitz drew from these monads is crucial to an sympathy of optimism. Leibnitz argued that all of these monads were linked in a complex chain of relieve oneself and effect and that this linking had been done by a divine creator as he created the harmonious universe. Since he was benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient, he logically would create the beaver of all possible worlds. Hence, everything that happens in the universe is part of this greater plan, and thus must be for the best. Humans cannot appreciate how the evils encountered in every daylight life contri entirelye to the best of universes and universal harmony, but they do, nonetheless. Optimism wa s attractive to many a(prenominal) because it answered a profound philosophical question that mankind had been grappling with since the author of faith if God is omnipotent and benevolent, then why is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way egress 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 death and destruction, both man-made and natural (including the Lisbon earthquake) Voltaire concluded that everything was not for the best. great(p) 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 vital Essays. unexampled Jersey Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Durant, Will, Ariel Durant. The Story of Civilization Part IX The eld of Voltaire. New York Simon and Schuster, 1965. Frautschi, R.L. Barrons Simplified Approach to Voltaire Candide. New York Barrons Educational Series, Inc., 1968. Lowers, James K, ed. slack 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.