One of the main goals of the Enlightenment was to promote reason and rationalism as a method of achieving social and political reform. However, Voltaire, a powerful and renowned philosopher and writer of the time, often criticized particular aspects of Enlightenment philosophy. In his short novel Candide, Voltaire attacks quite sharply the optimism so popular among philosophers like Leibnitz, choosing instead not to ignore the omnipresent presence of natural and human evil. In this work, the main character, Candide, undergoes drastic changes in her thinking and maturity. In concluding Candide's geographical and philosophical journey, it appears that Voltaire wanted to emphasize that man's goal is not to speculate vainly about philosophy. Rather, man should become an active member of a world that is more realistic and better attuned to his natural oscillation within his physical and psychological states. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay It becomes clear from the beginning of his work that Voltaire wishes to promote both material and mental independence of the individual : a task that can usually be accomplished. through travel. The novel itself is based entirely on a dynamic and complex journey undertaken by Candide, as well as parts of the paths taken by those close to him. In fact, the point of view changes continuously throughout the thirty chapters of the work, alternating narrators to make the journey accessible to everyone, men and women. As the plot develops, the events taking place in each location begin to bear witness to the universality of human suffering. This universality is a reality that Candide – and every other individual – must recognize to possibly reduce the amount of suffering they themselves experience. An old woman far more experienced in worldly affairs than Candide gives him an overview of this concept, telling him that if he were on a ship: “have each passenger tell you their story; and if there is one who has not often cursed his life, who has not often said to himself that he is the most unfortunate of men, throw me head first into the sea” (260). Indeed, virtually every chapter contains horrific accounts of violence and misery that extend to members of all social and political classes. Two other more experienced acquaintances, Cacambo and Martin, offer slightly different perspectives on the nature of human suffering. When Candide is shocked to learn that in a foreign country women have relations with monkeys, Cacambo asks him: "why would you find it so strange that in certain countries there are monkeys who obtain the favors of ladies?" They are quarter men, as I am quarter Spaniard” (269). As Candide experiences various forms of suffering, he begins to understand how travel fosters independence and acceptance, and himself states, "certainly a man should travel" (277). Later, Martin contributes some of his own observations, telling Candide: "it is beyond my poor capacity to tell you whether there are more madmen in one country than in the other" (301). . Thus, it appears that travel is a useful method for exposure to and greater understanding of the similarities between various cultures, and in particular the pervasive nature of human suffering within each population. Candide's need to accept or change is closely linked to the recognition of universal suffering. certain evils in the world. Several Enlightenment philosophers promoted rational thinking as a meansto mitigate the effects of evil, but Voltaire encourages Candide and his reader to admit that evil exists and, instead of accepting it, encourages them to attempt to mitigate some of its effects by promoting change. There are two forms of evil: one that cannot be changed by man (e.g. natural disasters) and one that can (e.g. war). Rather than speculating about the ultimate reason for these evils, Voltaire believes that man should deal with them to the best of his ability. He satirizes metaphysicians known for spending their time thinking about the reason for evil; at the beginning of the novel, when Candide is about to be brutally killed, the narrator says: "at that moment, the king of the Bulgarians arrived and inquired about the victim's crime... he understood, according to what he had learned about Candide, that he was a young metaphysician very ignorant of world affairs” (233). It is also clear that Voltaire highlights the cruelty of men which seems to perpetuate evil. For example, a certain scholar, Jacques, comments: “Men... must have corrupted nature a little, because they were not born wolves, and they became wolves. God did not give them twenty-four-pound cannons or bayonets, and they made bayonets and cannons to destroy one another” (239). While this metaphor obviously criticizes men for their savage violence, it also allows us to distinguish between natural evils and those created by men. Throughout the rest of the novel, evil is commented on as Candide's journey allows her to evolve into a higher state of independence. and maturity. The evil practiced by man is finally called into question by Candide, when he asks Martin: "Do you think... that men have always massacred each other... liars, cheats, traitors, brigands, weak, fickle, cowardly, envious , gluttons, drunken, greedy and vicious, bloody, slanderous, debauched, fanatic, hypocrite and idiot? Martin replies: "Do you think... that hawks have always eaten the pigeons they encountered?... well... if hawks have always had the same nature, why should you expect that men change theirs? (290). By observing this surplus of unpleasant traits recognized by Candide, it appears obvious that he has already been exposed to evil in very diverse forms. Furthermore, Martin's logical response expresses a pessimistic view of human nature that often results from various forms of wrongdoing. Another character, Cunégonde, expresses a similar disappointment with his experiences, referring to his old optimistic philosopher: "Pangloss cruelly deceived me when he said that all is well in the world" (248). However, a wise man, Dervish, reminds the reader that it is vain to simply consider the origin of evil. When Pangloss attempts to discuss philosophy with him, Dervish asks, "What does it matter...whether there is evil or good?" ” and tells Pangloss that he should just “hold [his] tongue” (326). Thus, it appears that Voltaire encourages man to recognize the existence of evil, but not to attempt to reason about it. Instead, it guides the reader to follow the message found in the rest of Candide's journey, which suggests that humans should respond to evil by trying to bring about change. As Candide's experiment continues, a particularly important pattern in human behavior emerges: it seems that humans do not obviously desire a pure state of happiness, but rather are accustomed to oscillating between states of boredom, d indifference and suffering. This idea presents itself in a very unexpected way when Candide and Cacambo decide to leave Eldorado, an oasis filled with wealth and free from violence and persecution. Candide reasons: “if we stay here, we will only belike everyone else; but if we return to our world with only twelve sheep laden with pebbles from Eldorado, we will be richer than all species put together,” to which the narrator comments, “Cacambo agreed with that; it is so pleasant to be on the move, to show oneself in front of friends, to parade the things seen during one's travels, that these two happy men resolved to no longer be so” (279). The men go radically against what most might expect, especially the king of Eldorado, who says that "when we are comfortable somewhere, we should stay there" (279). Leaving the oasis is perhaps Voltaire's way of suggesting a reason why humans continue to suffer from each other. It may also be a comment on the need for competition and variation between individuals, since Candide's main reason for leaving is to escape uniformity in exchange for a new status among his peers. An experienced old woman encountered shortly afterwards suggests that the behavior is developed in the novel to emphasize a particular weakness in human nature. After recounting a horrific story involving a lifetime of suffering, the woman says: “A hundred times I wanted to kill myself but I still loved life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps the most disastrous of our inclinations; for is there anything more stupid than to desire... to caress the serpent that devours us until it has eaten our hearts? (259) The biblical allusion to the serpent may even suggest that this flaw in human nature was initiated by original sin. In either case, it is clear that this curious human behavior is reiterated throughout the rest of the novel. A conversation with a Venetian lord later in the novel provokes an interesting observation from Candide, who asks Martin: "Is there no pleasure in criticizing, in finding faults where others do men think they see beauty? to which Martin agrees: “that is to say… there is pleasure in not being content” (312). This behavior persists throughout the rest of the novel. In conclusion, the main characters have settled on a small piece of land where they live safe from the majority of the evils encountered earlier in the novel. However, the narrator still describes a continuation of the trait seen in both the old woman and Martin. Voltaire is perhaps trying to reinforce the validity of the behavior by manifesting it in the two characters who appear to be particularly erudite and mature. The narrator says: "When they were not talking, the boredom was so excessive that one day the old woman dared to say... 'I would like to know which is worse... to endure all the miseries we have gone through, or to stay here to do nothing?' » and “Martin concluded above all that man was born to live in the convulsions of distress or in the lethargy of boredom” (324-325). It is clear that Voltaire believes that humans are naturally inclined to exist in a state oscillating between boredom and suffering. An interesting conclusion can be drawn by combining the aforementioned aspects of Voltaire's work. An individual must first achieve maturity by experiencing different cultures and making inferences about human behavior. These experiences, in turn, help an individual make decisions about the presence of evil, thereby allowing them to recognize the existence of evil without having to speculate philosophically about it. Additionally, individuals often find that, by nature, they are constantly oscillating between boredom and distress. Based on these premises, individuals may conclude that to avoid some of the evils perpetrated solely by humans (but without wasting time in.