Blind Optimism vs. Dogmatic Pessimism: Is There a Better Choice?
This past week, we read and analyzed Candide, a French Novel revolving around the story of a young man named Candide and his journey through various spiraling adventures, surrounding by characters that either helped him or turned against him. Amongst these were Pangloss --- who acts as a philosopher and Candide's mentor/tutor. He is constantly offering ideas in moments of desperation or despair, putting on a positive mindset when Candide is feeling otherwise. However, through various moments throughout the book, Voltaire reveals how this philosophy that Pangloss preaches is the main satirical target of the novel, showing how his and other character's experiences seem to contract his beliefs. For example, Voltaire writes about a scene where Candide and Pangloss have just gotten off a ship voyage and arrived at Lisbon, where there had been a terrible earthquake -- a seemingly disastrous calamity. However, even in these dire situations, Pangloss offers his blind optimism, saying, ...