Voltaire’s
Candide (1758) Chapter 1: Candide’s Expulsion from
Westphalia (The Fall of Man) (What is Voltaire’s take on
the Church’s explanation for the existence of evil in man?) Voltaire’s intricate and
involved satire on the moral beliefs of the Enlightenment: What is Voltaire’s true philosophical stance? How
does he account for the existence of evil in the world, both human evil and ‘natural evil’? What is his judgment of the
philosophical belief in optimistic determinism? What
is his vision of the natural state of man? Good or Evil? What is his understanding of the relationship between
cause and effect? Is human behavior determined? If so, then we are not
morally responsible for our choices? What happens when social thinkers try to engineer a
perfect human? The Expulsion from Eden:
(Voltaire’s vision of human nature) 1.
Voltaire’s
satirizes our conception of Eden: aristocratic breeding, material possession,
snobbery and pretentiousness: the mighty Baron Thunder-ten Tronck, Lord of
Westphalia owns a castle that has a window and a door and a tapestry; his
wife weighs 350 pounds; therefore he is a superior creature to all other
mortals. (What logic is Voltaire satirizing?) 2. Voltaitre satirizes the philosophe’s conception of Eden: Pangloss’ version of Leibniz/Newton’s optimistic determinism: - there cannot be an effect without a cause
-
every
cause is for the best in ‘this the best of all possible worlds’. -
Voltaire
lampoons this way of regarding the universe
by demonstrating the faulty logic behind the argument for God’s existence due
to design: ‘everything is made to serve an end , and everything necessarily
serves the best end’: noses were made to support spectacles, hence we have
spectacles; legs were made to be breeched, stones were made to build castles… -
What
logical mistake does Voltaire suggest optimistic determinists are making? 3.
Voltaire's
Redefinition of Original
Sin: -
Dr.
Pangloss gives the Baroness’ maid a lesson in experimental physics: the
doctor’s sufficient reason (the force of reason between cause and effect). - Even though Voltaire ridicules Pangloss's willingness to
justify anything he does, what are we to make of Candide and Cunegonde's
sin? When Cunegonde tries to perform the same "experiment" with Candide, he is ejected from paradise: Voltaire is revealing a logical flaw in Christian theology: how can we hold Candide responsible for engaging in an act that he could neither understand nor avoid? Similarly, how can we hold Adam responsible for an act that he could neither understand nor avoid? Without knowledge of good and evil can we be held accountable? Voltaire commenced the debate which we are still arguing today: when has an adolescent achieved enough experience to be held responsible for his actions? We don’t prosecute animals, children or the insane. Voltaire’s
point? Human nature is bestial, and to dream of overcoming instinct is arrogant folly. Powerful instincts, far more powerful than reason, drive our actions. In most cases we use reason merely to justify these bestial actions. Instinct is neither good nor bad. It is. There is no moral order to the universe, and humans have neither the power nor the intelligence to impose their morality on the universe. Natural catastrophe has no relation to a moral order. It is an aspect of the simple nature of reality itself, a reality that we cannot hope to fathom. Some aspects of life simply are. However, morality can apply to some aspects of our relations with each other. By humbly and honestly using reason to evaluate our actions, we can identify the most egregious forms of human oppression for what they are: barbarism We can refuse to bow down before ideologies that justify the cruelty of the aristocracy , the perverse ambitions of kings, and the oppression of the organized church. Holding to reason is our only hope to grasp the nature of the propaganda that justifies force, cruelty, and injustice. Voltaire’s point is essentially political. Evil exists; for the most part, humans create it, and there isn’t much that we can do about it. We are just too stupid. However, goodness also exists; humans possess free will, and we can use our reason to improve our lives. But utopia? Forget it! In Candide,
Voltaire will lampoon the philosophes’ naïve belief in the fundamental
goodness of not only man but the design of the universe itself. He will also
lampoon their mechanistic and determined vision of human behavior, suggesting
that free will and charitable acts are not just possible but vital to the
health of society. At the same time he will lampoon the ancien regime’s
pomposity and expose the corruption of absolute monarchy, the arrogance and
cruelty of the aristocracy, and the superstition and violence of the church.
Voltaire will agitate for reform of the government, for the natural rights of
all men, for the abolishment of the class system, and the education of the
people. Report #2 Chapter 2: The Recruiting Officer Chapter 3: The Seven Years War (How does Voltaire mock the
notion that our education and experience can condition us to avoid evil?) (What Is Voltaire’s vision of
the heroic adventure of warfare?) (What do Anabaptists like
Jaques believe? Why does he save Candide?) Report #3 Chapter 4: Pangloss with the Pox and Jaques
the Anabaptist Chapter 5: The Death of Jaques and The
Lisbon Earthquake (What
is Voltaire’s implied point in Pangloss’s absurd justification of the horror
of syphilis?) (What happens to poor Jaques?
What is Voltaire’s point?) (What moral reason can explain
the terrible destruction of this natural catastrophe?) (Why does Voltaire include the
perverse frenzy of the looters who take advantage of the destruction?) Report #4 Chapter 6: The Inquisition’s Auto-da fe Chapter 7: Reunion with Cunegonde (How did the Catholic Church
explain the Lisbon Earthquake?) (How does Voltaire justify the
necessity of suffering?) (Through what agency is
Candide saved once again?) (What do you make of
Voltaire’s choice to make Pangloss, Candide and Cunegonde indestructible?) Report #5 Chapter 8: Cunegonde’s Story: Shared by the Inquisitor and the
Jew Chapter 9: Candide Commits Murder (Twice!) Chapter 10: Bound for the New World (What is Pangloss’
justification for brutality?) (To what extent has Reason
enabled the Inquisitor and the Jew to overcome their differences?) (Why does Candide feel no
remorse for his murders?) (How does Candide believe that
the New World will be different from the Old?) Report #6 Chapter 11: The Old Woman’s Adventures: The Wheel of Fortune Chapter 12: The Old Woman’s Adventures: The Plague, Slavery, Cannibalism,
Suicide (To what indignities was the
young princess subjected? What is Voltaire’s point about fortune?) (What is Voltaire’s
explanation for these natural and human evils?) Report #7 Chapter 13: The New World: Buenos Aires Chapter 14: The Jesuit Utopia Chapter 15: Candide Kills his Brother-In-Law Chapter 16: The Biglugs: Man in the State of
Nature (Describe the New World
paradise that has been created in South America. How different is it from
Europe?) (Why is Candide rejected by
his aristocratic brother-in-law? Why does Candide kill him?) (What is Voltaire’s vision of
man in the state of nature, the Biglugs?) Report #8 Chapter 17: Eldorado Chapter 18: The Government of Eldorado (After showing the reality of
society in the new World, Voltaire presents his vision of Utopia.) (How do Candide and Cacambo
find Utopia?) (Describe the features of this
ideal social arrangement: What religion? What economy? What government?) (Why does Candide insist on
leaving Eldorado? What do you make of this choice?) Report #9 Chapter 19: Surinam Chapter 20: Martin the Manichean Chapter 21: More of Martin’s Philosophy (What conditions exist on the
sugar plantation in the New World?) (How has Candide redefined
optimism?) (How is Candide cheated of his
fortune?) (What do Manicheans believe?
Is Martin a strict Manichean?) (To what extent does Voltaire
believe in the freedom of the will?) Report #10 Chapter 22: France Chapter 23: England (Describe Voltaire’s vision of
French society: what happens to Candide and Martin?) (How does he dispense with
England?) Report #11 Chapter 24: Venice and The Possibility of
Human Happiness Chapter 25: Lord Pococurante Chapter 26: Dinner for the De-throned (What is the outcome of Martin
and Candide’s bet on the possibility of human happiness?) (How happy is Lord
Pococurante, the man who has never known a moment’s grief?) (After
Candide has had dinner with the ex-kings, what does he think about the
possible satisfactions of owning absolute political power?) Report #12 Chapter 27: Constantinople Bound: the Galleys
of the Turks Chapter 28: The Adventures of Pangloss and the
Baron Chapter 29: Reunion with Cunegonde and the Old
Woman (Think of Constantinople as
the location of Voltaire’s final farm.) (How
did all our heroes wind up in this part of the world? Is Voltaire cynically
creating an impossible coincidence, or is he suggesting the possibility of a
measure of human happiness?) (What has happened to
Cunegonde? Does Candide still love her?) (How does Pangloss re-define
his belief in the principle of pre-established harmony?) Report #13 Chapter 30: The Conclusion (Do our heroes live happily
ever after?) (What
does the dervish tell Pangloss?) (Describe the philosophies of
Pangloss, Martin, and Candide at the end of the story.) (What is Voltaire’s moral?) |