Attitudes, Ideas and Behaviors in Candide - Essay Example

Voltaire’s Candide shows the complete transformation of the philosophical ideology of Pangloss that this is the best of all possible worlds. This may clearly fit a person someone like Candide who is not aware of the outside world other than his baron’s castle. But in reality, the world is full of misery and corruption. The change in the mindset of a person depending on the situation is rightly presented throughout the process as he sees corruption and violence all over the world. It must be noticed that Voltaire has criticized the ideology of various characters and has tried to enlighten us about the real world.

Candide is an exemplary work by Voltaire as he brings to light the behavior of various characters and criticizes the philosophies and ideologies of various religions like the Roman Catholic Church, Islam and others. The idea of free will is questioned by an individual’s control over his own destiny. Voltaire criticizes the idea of free will through Candide as a person is predestined to act irrespective of the fact whether he is doing good or evil.

            The main notion as stated by Pangloss that “there is no effect without a cause and “we live in the best of all possible worlds and whatever happens is for the best is strongly ridiculed as there is a lot of violence and bloodshed resulting in loss of lives.  The loss of lives, killing of people for the sake of possession is common and contrasts to the idea of Pangloss. Candide tells its readers that the world is corrupt and evil persists in many forms. Therefore we must be ready to confront evil, whatever shape or form it takes, natural or unnatural. Further, Voltaire also attacks the idea that there is a divine will guiding earthly events and denies providence as beneficent guiding principles as no rational pattern exists in the world.

            Voltaire mostly has criticized the attitude and behavior of people during that particular period and ridiculed certain ideas which were not practical. In Candide, Voltaire reaches to a conclusion that the art of life is in living which is evident when Candide realizes that ‘we must take care of our garden’ and according to Pangloss “man was put into the garden of Eden – with an intent to dress it - - that man was not born to be idle”. (97)