Candide
by Voltaire
Table of Contents
Symbols and Themes
Critique of philosophical optimism
Throughout the novel, Pangloss’s teaching that “all is for the best” and that
this is “the best of all possible worlds” acts as a refrain. At first Candide accepts this
belief, but as he endures and witnesses incredible suffering in the world, he is forced to
question it. Pangloss’s assertion is a simplification of the philosophy of many thinkers
of Voltaire’s time, particularly Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz. According to Leibniz’s
philosophy, it is accepted as a given that there is a perfect, all-powerful God. Therefore,
all the evil and misfortune in the world is an essential part of God’s great design, and all
human suffering is necessary for a greater good. Voltaire considered this thinking overly
optimistic, hence the subtitle of the novel: Optimism. The novel satirically presents a
gamut of human horrors—including war, torture, rape, persecution, religious hypocrisy,
social injustice, disease, and natural disaster—which challenge the notion that “all is for
the best.” Even in spite of his own suffering, Pangloss continues to believe that personal
misfortune serves a higher purpose which mere mortals simply cannot perceive. The
principal danger of this type of thinking is best articulated by Martin, who points out
that if man does not take any responsibility for evil, then he has no reason to change
anything.
The hypocrisy and destructiveness of religion
Religious leaders, and ostensibly Christian persons, are frequently the object of
Voltaire’s vituperative satire. In...
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