Candide

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Candide

• Voltaire
• (François-Marie Arouet 1694-1778)

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Key Issues of the 18th Century

• How would you define Evil?
• Man-made evil
• Natural evil
• Evil is the name we give to the forces of chaos
  that do not just oppose but utterly negate the
  basic principles by which we live as individuals
  and as part of a society. It does not
  discriminate.(Coward)
• the violator of ethical rules constantly
  escapes the punishment which he deserves that
  the wicked flourishes like a green bay tree,
  while the righteous begs his bread (Huxley)

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Whats the problem?

• The paradox of Epicurus (4BC) God is good and
  therefore cannot wish to harm his creatures. God
  is also all-powerful and therefore able to
  protect them. But Evil exists and his creation
  is harmed. We must conclude that
• either God wants us to suffer, in which case He
  is not good or that he cannot prevent our
  suffering, which means that He is not omnipotent.
  If God has both the will and the power to
  prevent Evil, then where does it come from?

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18th Century solutions

• Bayle (1697) Dictionnaire historique et
  critique The Manichean thesis the world is
  controlled by two opposing forces, one good and
  one evil, God and Satan, light and darkness life
  on earth is a constant conflict between the two.
• King (1701) De Origine Male evil is neither
  God nor man-made, but a necessity. God is perfect
  and only He can be so, otherwise there would lots
  of other gods. Hence all that exists must, by
  logic, be imperfect. This imperfection is what
  we term Evil. We should accept all natural and
  human imperfections and any resultant evil, and
  worship the perfect God as our divine creator.

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18th Century solutions

• Leibniz (1710) Essai de Théodicée Creation is
  by definition imperfect, resulting in Evil. But
  why, if Evil is unavoidable, did God create
  anything at all?
• Since He is good, He would obviously have created
  a Universe as good as could be made. He did not
  omit the imperfections, since that must not have
  been the best option. Therefore, this world must
  be the best of all possible worlds, which God
  might have created.

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18th Century solutions

• Pope (1733) An Essay on Man Despite scientific
  progress of recent years Newton, Galileo,
  Harvey we are only just beginning to understand
  our Universe we can recognise some parts, but
  certainly not yet the whole. The rhythm of the
  seasons, day and night, a butterfly wing all
  indicate the governance of a supreme being, which
  we do not yet understand. Everything must,
  therefore, have its part to play.
• An individual cog may appear small and ugly, but
  it contributes to the overall beauty and
  intricacy of the clock in which it operates.
  Therefore
• Whatever is, is right.

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Other ideas

• Deism a belief that all in Life is pre-destined,
  according to Gods master plan. The only problem
  with this is
• that the original Fall of Man and his expulsion
  from the Garden of Eden was the result of Free
  Will Gods unique and controversial gift to
  humanity the ability to choose Good or Evil. So
• if mankind is blessed with Free Will and the
  ability to choose, how can his future be already
  pre-ordained?

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Other ideas

• Compensation Life is defined as a continual
  balance between two sides. Just as there is day
  and night,
• male and female, hot and cold, black and white,
  joy and pain, life and death,
• so there is Good and Evil.
• One cannot exist without the other and
• each defines the other.

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Other ideas

• Optimism Put simply, Optimists recognised that
  Evil was a necessary part of existence, but
  sought not to over-exaggerate it. The focus on
  the positive aspects of life resulted in a
  positive spin being applied to any apparently
  negative event
• a flood may kill hundreds and devastate villages,
  but the land will be made more fertile as a
  result, which will produce better harvests for
  future generations
• By the mid 18th century, Optimism had become a
  popular and superficial response to societys
  many complex problems, perpetuated by Popes
  slogan Whatever is, is right and Leibniz This
  is the best of all possible worlds.

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The Historical Context

• Science The 18th century was known as the Age of
  Enlightenment a time of increasing Reason,
  Cause Effect and Empiricism.
• Lisbon In 1755 (November 1st All Saints Day)
  the Lisbon earthquake destroyed large parts of
  the city and killed 20000 people.
• War The 7 Years War (France/Austria/Russia v
  Prussia) began in 1756 and was noted for several
  brutal massacres and much irrational violence.

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Candide

• Voltaire wrote Candide in 1759, within this
  philosophical and historical context.
• It is known as a conte philosophique Je veux
  quun conte soit fondé sur la vraisemblance, et
  quil ne ressemble pas toujours à un rêve que,
  sous le voile de la fable, il laissât entrevoir
  aux yeux exercés quelque vérité fine qui échappe
  au vulgaire.