Candide is the story of the character Candide and the circumstances that fell upon him after his abrupt eviction from a seemingly idyllic castle. These circumstances reveal that the metaphysical optimism that his mentor, Pangloss has taught him is incorrect, through hardship after hardship. The story successfully challenges metaphysical optimism, the belief that “we live in the best of all possible worlds” and illustrates its dangers and ridiculousness through the use of various satirical elements such as exaggeration, irony, and ridicule. Voltaire first challenges metaphysical optimism through the use of satire when Candide persists in its belief, despite being forced to run the gauntlet. Candide states that “everything is linked by necessity and arranged for the best. It was necessary for me to be expelled from the presence of Mademoiselle Cunégonde and to run the gauntlet.” (21) By having Candide run the gauntlet, and have him still believe that it was for the best, despite its seemingly senseless and cruel nature, Voltaire ridicules the idea of metaphysical optimism, by having Candide try to weakly justify it. Ridicule is one way a satire criticizes people and ideas, by showing the shortcomings of the idea, and this is certainly an example. By using the exaggeration that is characteristic of a satirical novel, Candide is suited to make the reader vividly remember events in the book that challenge metaphysical optimism.
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For example, the old woman describes how “I grew in beauty, graces, and talents, in the midst of pleasures, respect, and hopes.” (36) to how “in three months’ time had undergone poverty and slavery, had been raped almost every day, had seen her mother cut into quarters, had endured hunger and war, and was dying of the plague in Algiers.” (39) With this almost over-the-top extensive list of horrors the old woman has experienced, Candide builds its case against metaphysical optimism. This is done by listing so many examples of horrible experiences that seem to challenge the idea that all in the world is for the best, such that the attempt of the optimist to explain their cause is worthy of mockery, as seen in the next paragraph. In addition to the actual experiences of the characters as an argument against the idea of metaphysical optimism, Voltaire highlights where the arguments for optimism are weak to the point of mockery. Pangloss, the philosopher who indoctrinates Candide on the idea of metaphysical optimism, makes this argument for why existence of Syphilis is justified: “It was an indispensable thing in the best of worlds, a necessary ingredient; for if Columbus had not caught, in an island in America, this disease which poisons the source of generation, which often even prevents generation, and which is obviously opposed to the great purpose of nature, we would not have either chocolate or cochineal.” (23) With this argument, Candide further undermines metaphysical optimism, by having it present an inherently flawed explanation. Not only does the argument Pangloss makes address the disease itself, he attempts to justify its existence through a weak link with chocolate and cochineal purely through the fact that Columbus brought both of them back to Europe. By presenting this example where metaphysical optimism cannot justify itself, Voltaire helps defeat the entire idea, since optimism relies on the fact that
For example, the old woman describes how “I grew in beauty, graces, and talents, in the midst of pleasures, respect, and hopes.” (36) to how “in three months’ time had undergone poverty and slavery, had been raped almost every day, had seen her mother cut into quarters, had endured hunger and war, and was dying of the plague in Algiers.” (39) With this almost over-the-top extensive list of horrors the old woman has experienced, Candide builds its case against metaphysical optimism. This is done by listing so many examples of horrible experiences that seem to challenge the idea that all in the world is for the best, such that the attempt of the optimist to explain their cause is worthy of mockery, as seen in the next paragraph. In addition to the actual experiences of the characters as an argument against the idea of metaphysical optimism, Voltaire highlights where the arguments for optimism are weak to the point of mockery. Pangloss, the philosopher who indoctrinates Candide on the idea of metaphysical optimism, makes this argument for why existence of Syphilis is justified: “It was an indispensable thing in the best of worlds, a necessary ingredient; for if Columbus had not caught, in an island in America, this disease which poisons the source of generation, which often even prevents generation, and which is obviously opposed to the great purpose of nature, we would not have either chocolate or cochineal.” (23) With this argument, Candide further undermines metaphysical optimism, by having it present an inherently flawed explanation. Not only does the argument Pangloss makes address the disease itself, he attempts to justify its existence through a weak link with chocolate and cochineal purely through the fact that Columbus brought both of them back to Europe. By presenting this example where metaphysical optimism cannot justify itself, Voltaire helps defeat the entire idea, since optimism relies on the fact that