The Asylum of Optimists in Candide

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The Asylum of Optimists

"Philosophy consists very largely of one philosopher arguing that all others are jackasses. He usually proves it, and I should add that he also usually proves that he is one himself." US editor H.L. Mencken summed up the majority of Voltaire's Candide in this humorous statement. He stated Voltaire's ideas toward modern philosophy, specifically the Optimism of the philosopher Leibniz. Candide presents the idea that philosophy is useless without application and yet leaves the idea wide open to interpretation. Both sides of the theory are present; the reader must decide which to believe.

On the one hand, the reader is presented with the idea that philosophy is good for philosophy's sake. The character Pangloss is an absolute optimist, constantly saying that "all is well" (2). The optimism of Pangloss carries him through the hardest of circumstances - syphilis (9), a hanging (15), and a botched autopsy that brought him back to life (92). Yet in his satirical fashion, Voltaire carries Pangloss' philosophy to the point of idiocy. When any normal person would have renounced their philosophy, Pangloss still insists on it. So what conclusion may the reader draw from this portrayal? Clearly, Pangloss failed to apply his philosophy, yet he was still living. He was still able to count his blessings. Philosophy for philosophy's sake seemed to be a "wind beneath the wings" for Pangloss - keeping him somewhat sane in the darkest of situations. Voltaire's presentation of this idea is in complete contrast to the idea behind the Enlightenment, in which reason was the greatest ideal. Philosophy springs from reasoning and so Voltaire displayed how philosophy can be used simply for the sake of reasoning. In fact, the text even says that Pangloss, ."..having once maintained that everything was going marvelously, he still maintained it, and believed nothing of the sort" (96). He still maintains the philosophy, giving him hope, yet doesn't fully believe it. In other words, he has the head knowledge, but hasn't taken it fully to heart knowledge yet.

The application of philosophical reasoning, however, seems to be Voltaire's main point. Philosophy is no good without application, which contrasts the ideal of the character Pangloss. Pangloss' antithesis is a man named Martin, who is an essential pessimist and represents the opposite side of Voltaire's argument.

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