Candide

Note: For the operetta based on the book, please see Candide (operetta).

Related Topics:
Operetta - Candide (operetta)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Candide, ou l'Optimisme, (English: Candide, or Optimism) (1759) is a picaresque novel by the Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire.

Related Topics:
English - 1759 - Picaresque - Novel - Enlightenment - Philosopher - Voltaire

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sardonic in outlook, it follows the naïve protagonist Candide from his first exposure to the precept that "all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds," and on through a series of adventures that dramatically disprove that precept even as the protagonist clings to it. The novel satirizes the philosophy of Gottfried Leibniz and is a showcase of the horrors of the 18th century world. In Candide, Leibniz is represented by the philosopher Pangloss, the tutor of the title character. Despite a series of misfortunes and misadventures, Pangloss continually asserts that tout est au mieux ("everything is for the best") and that he lives in le meilleur des mondes possibles ("the best of all possible worlds").

Related Topics:
Precept - Possible worlds - Satirizes - Gottfried Leibniz - 18th century - Pangloss - The best of all possible worlds

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Voltaire never openly admitted to having written the controversial Candide. The work is signed with a pseudonym: "Monsieur le docteur Ralph," literally "Mr. Dr. Ralph."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~