Although Candide is a comedic and exaggerated narrative, it maintains an inherent seriousness beneath its satirical elements. The main character, a naive young man, undertakes various adventures that expose the existence of immense evil in the world. Throughout his journey, Candide remains dedicated to the teachings of his mentor Pangloss, who advocates for the philosophy that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.”
Voltaire’s Candide is a scathing response to the prevalent philosophy during his time, which he saw as an absurd belief that allowed followers of Optimism to easily rationalize evil and suffering. The main target of Voltaire’s attack in Candide was Gottfried Leibniz, the leading proponent of Optimism. Additionally, Candide was written as a counter to Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man, which argues that “partial evil” serves the greater good. While not embracing pessimism, Voltaire firmly rejected the notion that everything happens for the best.
Voltaire’s passionate response was provoked by two catastrophic incidents: the 1746 earthquake in Lima, Peru, and the even more destructive earthquake in Lisbon, Spain, in 1755 that claimed fifty thousand lives. Voltaire expressed outrage towards the Optimists who were trying to console the victims by asserting that this calamity had happened for “the best.” In his work, Po?e sur le d?astre de Lisbonne (1756), Voltaire sympathizes with the earthquake victims and strongly criticizes the Optimists.
In the Introduction to the poem, Voltaire addresses the lack of empathy by stating that after a disaster, the heirs of the deceased would benefit economically, architects would prosper from rebuilding, and animals would thrive from feeding on buried corpses. Voltaire suggests that these outcomes are a natural consequence of natural events. He advises not to be concerned about personal misfortune, as it ultimately contributes to the overall well-being. This belief is further challenged by Voltaire in his later work, Candide, published in 1759.The historical events that influenced Candide include the Seven Years’ War, the execution of Admiral Byng in 1747, and the war between England and France over Canadian territory. Additionally, during this time of political instability, the Enlightenment period began, which saw intellectuals like Voltaire and Denis Diderot challenging European beliefs and institutions while advocating against intolerance and injustice.
Despite being widely loved by the people of Paris, his peers, and even the royal family, Voltaire experienced various injustices. These include his imprisonment in the Bastille for writing a satire about the Regent of France, which are believed to have influenced his writing of Candide.
Due to being scandalous, Candide was published in secret and without an author’s name, so the exact date of publication is not known. However, around mid-January of 1759, 1,000 copies of Candide were sent to Paris by Voltaire’s publisher, and by late February, Voltaire’s identity was discovered. The police were instructed to confiscate any available copies of Candide, but this controversy actually contributed to the book’s growing fame. By the end of the year, at least seventeen editions of the work had been released.
Religious officials criticized the book for containing dangerous principles regarding religion and promoting moral depravity. The critic Madame de Sta? described Candide as a work of infernally cheerful nature, where the writer laughs at the miseries of the human race in a manner resembling a demon or a monkey, despite having no connection to them.
Despite facing personal challenges, Voltaire’s novel Candide has been widely acclaimed and regarded as a masterpiece since the late nineteenth century. The reading public adored it, and even Gustave Flaubert praised the work, admitting to reading it numerous times and using it as inspiration for his own writing. Born in Paris in 1694 as François-Marie Arouet, Voltaire had a difficult relationship with his father François and older brother Armand. He believed that Rochebrune, an officer and songwriter, was his biological father.
Voltaire studied at the Jesuit college of Louis-le-Grand in Paris, where his passion for literature and the theater developed. When he was twenty-two, Voltaire was banished to Sully-sur-Loire for seven months due to his satirical writing about the Duke of Orl?ns, the ruling Regent of France. The following year, he penned another satire, resulting in an eleven-month imprisonment in the Bastille. In 1718, he adopted the name Voltaire, renouncing the family name he despised for a long time. Additionally, during that year, his debut play, Oedipe, premiered and his widely popular epic poem La Ligue was published in 1723.
Voltaire experienced immense triumph in Paris and simultaneously held a position in Louis XV’s royal court at Versailles. Yet, his life underwent a dramatic transformation in 1726 due to a conflict with the Chevalier Rohan, an influential individual in France. The Chevalier’s servants physically attacked Voltaire, prompting him to consider engaging in a duel with him. Regrettably, these incidents resulted in Voltaire’s imprisonment within the Bastille on charges of disrupting public order. After being released after one month, he was compelled to leave Paris as part of his freedom conditions and subsequently spent the following three years residing in England.
After the publication of Lettres philosophiques (1734), Voltaire faced condemnation by the Parliament of Paris for being offensive towards politics and religion, resulting in a warrant for his arrest. In order to evade capture, he sought refuge at Cirey, where his mistress, Madame du Ch?elet, resided.
Voltaire was given a secret mission in 1742 to convince the King of Prussia to support France during the War of the Austrian Succession. This resulted in his reinstatement as the court biographer at Versailles under Louis XV’s favor. However, in 1747, Voltaire and Mme du Chelet fell out of favor with the royal court due to indiscretions related to their affair, prompting them both to flee. The most challenging moment for Voltaire occurred in 1749 when Mme du Chelet tragically passed away while giving birth (the child not being Voltaire’s).
At the news of her death, he was devastated and agreed to go to Berlin with Frederick of Prussia. In Berlin, he got into a fight with Maupertius, a fellow countryman. He then wrote a satirical piece about Maupertius and it was quickly destroyed on Frederick’s command. His conflicts with Frederick led Voltaire and his niece, Mme Denis, whom he was having an affair with, to leave Berlin in 1753. As a result, he was placed under house arrest by Prussian authorities. In addition, Louis XV prohibited him from entering Paris, so he eventually settled in Geneva.
Voltaire produced two significant historical works, “Le si?le de Louis XIV” (1751) and “Essai sur les moeurs” (1755), where he recounted the global history from the decline of the Roman Empire to highlight humanity’s progression towards enlightenment, by moving away from barbarism. In 1755, a catastrophic earthquake hit Lisbon, which prompted Voltaire to publish “Po?e sur le d?astre de Lisbonne” the following year. The famous literary work “Candide” was published in January or February of 1759.
In 1764, Voltaire released the widely read Dictionaire philosophique and also contemplated establishing a colony for philosophers in Frederick’s Prussia. However, his fellow writers in Paris declined to join him. The same year saw the publication of Le Philosophe ignorant. Furthermore, he authored L’Ingenu in 1767, wherein he criticized religious intolerance and persecution in France. These works are considered significant contributions by Voltaire following his renowned novels Candide and Zadig (1747).
During the last twenty years of his life, Voltaire resided in Geneva. It was here that he engaged in various activities such as writing essays, involving himself in politics, and exchanging letters with monarchs, philosophers, and actors. His exceptional renown led to him being dubbed the “Innkeeper of Europe.” At his Ferney estate, he welcomed esteemed literary figures like Giovanni Casanova, Edward Gibbon, and the Prince de Ligne. The injustices perpetrated by French authorities deeply disturbed Voltaire; consequently, he devoted the remainder of his life to campaigning against unfair legal practices.
In 1774, Louis XVI became king and Voltaire was warmly welcomed back to Paris in 1778. Unfortunately, just three months later, Voltaire became seriously ill with uremia and died on May 30. Because he did not have a religious funeral, he could not be buried in sacred land in Paris. As a result, his body was secretly taken out of the city and laid to rest in Scelli?es in Champagne. Eventually, in 1791, Voltaire’s remains were returned to Paris and placed in the Panthn after an impressive and solemn procession.
