The Enlightenment era dates to 18th century. It was marked by advances in sciences, the desire to improve living conditions, and the weakening influence of the Christian tradition. As a result, many intellectuals began to wonder about the problem of evil and the reason for its existence. In the desire to justify a god who allows evil in the world, essays also known as theodicies, were being written. The best-known example of such texts is Leibniz's Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man, and the Origin of Evil in which he seeks to convince readers that God has created the best of all possible worlds for us. One of the most infamous representatives of the Enlightenment, Voltaire, was greatly bothered by this kind of theories, so he ridiculed them in many works, including his most famous novel Candide or Optimism. This criticism is the main theme of the present work. In Candide, Voltaire criticizes Leibniz in particular, but also other optimistic theories. He was a utilitarian, so he believed that every individual is responsible for their own well-being and should not ponder about their situation. As such, he wanted to discourage readers from believing theories that attempt to convince people that evils of this world should simply be accepted.
|
