Beginning of Essay
The novel, Candide, by Voltaire, is a scathing, satirical criticism of the world. It is a product of possibly the greatest philosopher of the Enlightenment. The novel examines many aspects of the world, which Voltaire found to be troublesome. These different as ....

Middle of Essay
.... and all was consternation in this most magnificent and most agreeable of all possible Castles (Candide 2) Voltaire is obviously ridiculing optimistic philosophy, especially that of Leibnitz for whom Pangloss was a follower. It seems as though Voltaire is condemming metaphysics and theology in general. "Pangloss was a professor of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigology (1). The name alone seems to poke fun at the entire branch of learning. A most appropriate example of this can be made of James, a man who takes in the starving Pangloss and Candide most generously. As the men are on a trip, he is thrown over the side of the ship off the Cap ....