Candide or On Optimism
In 1759, Voltaire, a philosopher during the Enlightenment era, published a French satire titled, Candide. The book underwent various English translations; in 1759, Candide: or, All for the best, in 1762 Candide: or, The Optimist, and finally in 1947, Candide: Optimism. As the years progressed and time changed, the translations offered alternative titles to the original title Candide. Voltaire provided the alternative title, optimism, for the original book’s title, Candide, for various reasons.
A key reason for the alternative title by Voltaire is to help its readers connect to the book. The title of the book, Candide: Optimism, is an alternative doublet representing the main character and the central theme of the story. During the enlightenment age, optimism referred to what came to be known as philosophical optimism. Philosophical optimism refers to the notion that the world is the best place to live, all the possible worlds, and that life is worth living. The doctrine is attributed to a German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz who published a treatise in 1710 commonly known as Essais de Thodice. The treatise found wide acceptance, especially around specific circles around Europe. The treatise motivated poets such as Alexander Pope, who used the publication’s ideas to write his poem, Essay on Man.
Leibniz argued that the doctrine of optimism dictates that the globe we are currently living in is the best of all possible worlds. The book Candide: Optimism ridicules the world’s idea is the most perfect of all any other possible place. In the book, Candide and Pangloss, who are the optimists suffer throughout the book. Some of the horrors that the two encounters include earthquakes, rape, floggings, unjust executions, betrayals, and diseases. These issues are an irony to the world being the best place of all worlds. During these sufferings, Pangloss attempts to justify the world’s cruelty but fails as most of his arguments are absurd. For instance, Pangloss argues that syphilis is necessary as it had to be transmitted from the Americans to Europeans to enjoy the new world’s elegances such as chocolate (Voltaire 13).
The alternative title, optimism, is a new word for a new age provided by Voltaire. As times are changing and the world is advancing, new issues arise, and the world’s imperfections are becoming clear. By providing an alternative title, Voltaire ensured that the readers focused on the main character, Candide, and the central theme. The creation of these characters was based on the enlightenment age. During the period, the world’s imperfections were unclear to many people, thus the continued optimism. However, with the emergence of a new age, the world is getting worse and more dangerous. As a result, a reduction in the number of optimists around the world. By shifting the readers’ focus from the main character to the key theme, Voltaire manages to bridge the gap between the modern world and the world during the enlightenment age.
The new word signals a breakthrough to the new world as it opens up the readers to real-world issues. As the book ends, Candide accepts the world’s nature and decides to cultivate his happiness. Unlike Pangloss, who repeatedly denies the imperfections of the real world, Candide finds happiness in the small things in life. The new word, optimism, is a representation of the actual events in the real world. Modern readers relate to the alternative title as it shows the day-to-day issues that they encounter. The alternative title motivates modern readers to find happiness in the small things in life.
