Candide Voltaire\'s Value of Philosophy

Candide

Voltaire's Value of Philosophy

There is little doubt that Voltaire's novel Candide was purposefully constructed as a satire, a work of literature that pokes fun at human folly. The characters are all relatively two-dimensional, simplistic, and seem to represent different sets of values and ideas that the author utilizes to denote a variety of concepts to the reader. Therefore, the characterization of both Candide and Pangloss is highly significant to the interpretation of this work of literature, since the latter is the protagonist and the former is his tutor who imparts the vast majority of the worldly knowledge that Candide possesses. However, the series of misfortunes that swiftly follow the pair and the other principle characters within this work soon demonstrate the folly of the wisdom that Pangloss has bestowed upon Voltaire. In fact, one may make a defensible argument that the ensuing catastrophes that occur in Candide are no mere accident, and that they are purposefully inflicted upon the characters by the author to denote the inherent folly in the branch of logic and reasoning known as philosophy which Pangloss both espouses and represents.

Of all the misfortunes that harass the characters of Candide, those that befall Pangloss are the most indicative of the fact that his philosophy that everything is for the best -- which is representative of the value of philosophy in general -- is purposefully mocked by the author. In fact, the author makes it quite clear from his initial description of Pangloss, as one who "taught the metaphysico-theologo-cosmolonigology," and the central tenet of which is "that everything is best" (Voltaire 186) that he is merely an instrument to satirize the uselessness of philosophical espousing. There is also a significant body of literature that emphasizes the fact that Pangloss and his philosophy are hopelessly narcissistic and even outright evil (Scherr 87). Yet the rank misadventures that decimate Pangloss (he contracts a sexually transmitted disease, is nearly hanged for committing heresy -- due to his philosophy -- and is eventually imprisoned in a chain gang) readily demonstrate to the reader that things do not merely happen for the best, and that tragedy and travesty occur randomly and fairly routinely in the world at large. Pangloss' own woeful fate is utilized by Voltaire to indicate that the philosophy he professes, and philosophy in general, is virtually useless and subservient to the virtues of humbleness and hard work.

Another fairly noteworthy aspect of Candide that serves to reinforce the notion that the novel functions to "advocate philosophical skepticism" (Beck 5) and that propagated by Pangloss in particular is the fate of the title character. Although all of the principle characters within this literary work bow to misfortunes, those that are effected upon Candide are particularly significant for two reasons. One is that as the protagonist of the novel, the events that occur to him are inevitably more eminent than those that happen to others. The other reason is that as Pangloss' prized pupil, Candide ultimately serves as the test of the virtue in the philosophy that Pangloss imparts upon him. Quite predictably, then, Candide incurs tragedies that nearly rival those of his teacher. He lives to see the woman he loves raped, sold to different men in varying forms of bondage, and ultimately grow ugly before her time and years. He is beaten severely for deserting a n army, expelled from his first home for attempting to love the daughter of the Baron who presided there, and, perhaps most significantly, is severely bludgeoned simply for listening to Pangloss' philosophical musings. The following quotation, which occurs shortly after Candide's thrashing, demonstrates his lack of faith in Pangloss' philosophy.

Candide, amazed, terrified, confounded, astonished, all bloody, and trembling from head to foot, says to himself, "If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others? If I had only been whipped, I could have put up with it, as I did among the Bulgarians; but, not withstanding, oh my dear Pangloss!" (Voltaire 194).

In this quotation, Candide is lamenting because he believes Pangloss has been hanged. He is also lamenting because he is inexorably finding out that he does not live in the "best" of all worlds, and that the philosophy that proclaimed such is as false as his beliefs in Pangloss.

Nowhere is it more apparent that Voltaire has constructed Candide as means to satirize the worth of philosophy and learned knowledge than at the book's conclusion. The conclusion is the most poignant part of this novel for several reasons, not the least of which is because it takes place after all of the main characters have endured more than their fair share of life-altering suffering. To that end, it is highly important that at this stage in his life, after suffering a number of tragedies and travesties, that Candide stops questioning and challenging Pangloss' philosophy and directly rebukes it, which the subsequent quotation, in which Pangloss tries to summarize the events of the novel by saying that they were worth it for Candide to now tend to a life as a simple farmer, indicates.

"…had you not run the Baron through the body; and had you not lost all your sheep, which you brought from the good country of El Dorado, you would not have been here to eat preserved citrons and pistachio nuts." "That is very well put," answered Candide; "but we must cultivate our garden." (Voltaire 246).

In this quotation, Pangloss provides a synopsis of the misfortunes to befall Candide and his friends with the purpose of attempting to prove that his philosophy is correct. Yet Candide's dismissal of this philosophy is fairly acute. Although he does not contradict Pangloss, he shows that he has learned the errors of adhering to philosophy in general by preferring to simply work within his farm rather than continue the conversation, and propagating more philosophical nonsense. Voltaire's reaction demonstrates that philosophy is subservient to the values of hard work and humility.

Yet another testimony to the fact that Candide was conceived of by Voltaire as a medium to disparage philosophical musing is the characterization of Martin. In many ways, Martin functions within this novel as the antithesis to the character of Pangloss. Whereas Pangloss is "the philosopher and proponent of unqualified optimism" (Ryden 139) despite how bad his fortune and life become, Martin is an eternal pessimist because of how bad his fortune and his life has come. He has had to deal with the loss of his wife and daughter, and a beating incurred at the hands of his son. It is quite obvious that Voltaire utilizes this character as a counterpoint to the optimistic philosophy of Pangloss, which the following quotation, in which Martin speaks to Candide regarding his opinon of the world, proves.

…when I cast my eye on this globe…I cannot help thinking that God has abandoned it to some malignant being. I always accept El Dorado. I scarce ever knew a city that did not wish the destruction of its neighboring city; nor a family that did not desire to exterminate some other family (Voltaire 220).

This quotation shows the lengths of Martin's extreme pessimism. He is willing to "accept" the presence of the devil rather than God, believes that God has "abandoned the world, and only views the negative aspect of humanity. What is actually noteworthy abut Martin's characterization is the fact that he, like Pangloss, is also a scholar. With the characterization of Martin, Voltaire is making it expressly clear that the superficial optimism of Pangloss is effectually countered by a more realistic view of the world, one which effectively makes a mockery of Pangloss' espousings.

Yet another means that Voltaire contrives for demonstrating the innate folly of philosophy and that propounded by Pangloss in particular is to have his optimistic outlook not shared by the other characters. Due to all of the suffering that has taken place within this novel, none of the other characters share Pangloss' view of the fact that everything happens for the best. The suffering incurred by other characters in this novel is considerable. There is that of the Dutch Anabaptist Jacques, who, despite an extremely benign nature (he takes in both Pangloss and Candide when the pair are destitute), is rewarded for his efforts by promptly drowning in freak accident. The unfairness of Jacques' death in the face of his benign nature that was responsible for his helping Candide "when no one else will" (Kerr 74) is not lost on Candide. Other characters, such as Cudgeon and the old woman who accompanies her, are greatly altered by all of the suffering that they endure, and are prone to questioning the reason and existence of the nature of life rather than assenting that there suffering is for the best. In this respect, then, Voltaire utilizes the other characters in Candide to demonstrate that Pangloss' philosophy is wrong, and that believing in any sort of moral philosophy is foolish and less preferable than working hard and remaining humble.

Aside from Candide and Pangloss, the character who suffers the most in this novel and demonstrates that the world is far from the best of all possible places is Cudgeon's servant, the old woman. With the characterization of the old woman, Voltaire makes it quite clear that he is satirizing human suffering and the value of philosophy that seeks to endorse or even defend one's existence in such a cruel world. The old woman went from having the brightest of futures -- that of being a beautiful woman of noble and wealthy lineage preparing to marry a prince -- to the worst of all possible fates. She lived to see everyone that she cared for, including the prince she was to marry as well as her family members, killed and oftentimes raped. She herself is raped on numerous occasions, beaten savagely, taken advantage of, sold and resold into slavery, and even eaten. Nowhere is the fact that Candide is a satire regarding human suffering and the philosophy that champions it demonstrated more clearly in the fact that the old woman endured having one buttocks eaten. Therefore, when the old woman disputes Pangloss' philosophy with the following quotation, it is readily apparent that her conviction is that of the author himself