Does Voltaire Criticize Leibniz's Criticism In Candide

Our world is like a chain of mistakes that continues without an end. A philosopher named Gottfried Von Leibniz believed that God is omniscient meaning that he knows everything. Since God knows everything, he is omnipotent, he has all the power and controls everything. Because God created our world, Leibniz believed that our world is the “best of all possible worlds”.Because Voltaire who is a philosopher, he thinks that Leibniz’s claim is absurd and he contradicts his claim. Candide who is the main character of the book has a tutor named Pangloss that believes that the world is the “best”, which is a parody of Leibniz’s claim. Candide goes on an adventure to find his lover Cunegonde when he encounters many misadventures along the way. In the

In the book, Candide goes on adventures of absurdity and exaggerated conflicts to meet up with Cunegonde. In chapter six of Candide, Pangloss and Candide are at Lisbon where an earthquake suddenly hits Lisbon causing the deaths of many people and the destruction of many homes. In order to prevent this tragedy from happening again, the people host an Auto de Fe where Pangloss and Candide and other people were selected as candidates for the sacrifice. People whose beliefs are different from the people of Lisbon were sacrificed for the sake of Lisbon. People were being tortured and burned slowly to prevent future earthquakes from happening. During the Auto de Fe, “The Biscayan and the two men who had refused to eat pork were burned, and Pangloss was hanged, although this was not customary.”(Voltaire 28-29). To explain Pangloss and the others were being sacrificed to prevent future earthquakes. The word customary means the customs or usual practices associated with a particular society, place, or set of circumstances. In the story, Voltaire uses the word customary to show a negative connotation because an Auto de Fe is normal in Lisbon, but it is wicked and cruel to sacrifice people for what they believe in. This shows irony because we expect the people to settle down and help each

In the book, Candide and Martin were at an inn, talking to the six foreigners. The six foreigners were apparently former kings that had their powers taken away. The kings talked about their past and how they came to a fall, “I was once Emperor of all the Russias, but I was dethroned while I was still in the cradle...like your Majesties, for the carnival.” (Voltaire 991-100). To explain the six foreigners are past kings who had lost their powers and their wealth. Voltaire uses this allusion of the six kings to exaggerate the idea that kings overthrow each other to rise in the social hierarchy. In the story, Voltaire exaggerates the six kings by building up the absurdity. Voltaire uses this allusion to criticize that people’s greediness makes them tempted to do things to obtain what they want. Candide and the other kings were giving money to the sixth king because he lost his wealth. As they were leaving the table, they saw Serene Highnesses, who lost their wealth and power, “There arrived at the same inn four Serene Highnesses who had also lost their dominions through the fortunes of war, who had come to Venice for the remainder of the carnival.”(Voltaire 101). To explain the Serene Highnesses were former queens themselves, but they were dethroned because of war. Voltaire uses the word “war” to portray the idea that humans