Topic: Candide learns the principles of optimism from his mentor, Pangloss, and one of the central mottos of his philosophy is that “since everything was made for a purpose, everything is necessarily for the best purpose.” This formula appears again and again only to be refuted with satiric and ironic sting. For example, Pangloss does not allow Candide to save James the Anabaptist from drowning because he believes that it is what was meant to happen. Throughout the story, Voltaire satirizes a wide variety of subjects, from certain philosophies to human nature itself. How does Voltaire use satire and iron upon Candide via his optimism, and what is his implication under his words towards the society and religion at the time?
0 comments