Candide Reflections

Candide Quotes

Candide to his mentor, the optimistic Pangloss: “When you were hanged, dissected, whipped, and tugging at the oar, did you continue to think that everything in this world happens for the best?” 

Pangloss: “I have always abided by my first opinion, for after all, I am a philosopher, and it would not become me to retract my sentiments.”

Candide to the pessimistic Martin: "To what end did God create all this?"

Martin: "To infuriate us."

Later...

Candide: "That family looks happy."

Martin: "You don't know what goes on behind closed doors with their brats for children."

Voltaire's book, Candide, is a satirical tragedy that pins optimism against pessimism. At every turn of unfortunate events, Candide attempts to respond with absurd amounts of positivity, learned from Pangloss. He's flogged to the tune of music. He's kicked out of his home for showing his beloved Cunegonde affection. Yet he holds on to the belief that his mentor, Pangloss, taught him: that everything happens for a reason (divine plan). 

Martin disagrees with an optimistic philosophy because of the classic "how could a loving God allow suffering" conundrum. 

Martin: "I must confess, when I cast my eye on this globe, or rather globule, I cannot help thinking that God has abandoned it to some evil being."

Voltaire suggests there are problems with both philosophies. Martin believes that all men must either live in boredom or in misery, but at least Martin lives in a state of acceptance since this is his expectation. Pangloss, the champion of optimism, ends up (ironically) despairing. Optimism created unrealistic expectations for Pangloss, and when those expectations weren't met, he fell into despair.

In the end, all three of them (Candide, Martin, and Pangloss), recognizing problems with both optimism and pessimism, put aside their philosophizing saying, "We must cultivate our gardens". Their focus on work liberates them from the despair/boredom that result from optimism/pessimism. 

“Let’s work, then, without disputing,” says Martin. “It is the only way to make life bearable.”

This choice to stop thinking so much and get to work seems like a common solution to life's problem of misery. Christians focus on "taking up their cross". Buddhists focus on "being present". Secularists focus on "having fun". All of these are choices to give up endless philosophizing about "what is the good life", "is there a God", "why is there suffering", etc. Endless philosophy can be paralyzing and create more suffering than life already provides. 

Side note: choosing to give up philosophizing is itself a philosophy.