22 December 2012

Another edition of Sardonic Saturdays!
Remember kids, every silver lining has a cloud!

Voltaire was an 18th Century French philosopher, writer, historian and overall champion. He drank around 40 cups of coffee a day - possibly his greatest achievement in my eyes.

Candide or Optimism is a warm, brief novelle about a protagonist that always looks on the bright side of life. His philosophy was taught to him by 'the best philosopher in all of Westphalia, and therefore, all the world!'.

It was thus;

'Everything in this world is here for a reason; thus, we may conclude that all is necessary for the best in this best of possible worlds!'

Happy Days.

The Theo Cuffee translation pictured here has a great introduction by Michael Wood. This is probably the best summary of the storyline;

Candide (the young protagonist), looks on the bright side when he can and not one of his many moments of discouragement can prevent his innate cheerfulness from returning. Voltaire has not made it easy for him. Candide inhabits a world which may seem freakishly full of disasters, of war and earthquake, repeated rape and the persistent exploitation of the frail and the innocent by the rabid and strong.

By the end of the novelle, poor, innocent Candide has experienced his fair share of 'whips and arrows of outrageous fortune'.
He is melancholic, to say the least.

His philosophy then changes. When asked to define optimism, he replies that 'it is the mania for insisting that all is well when all is by no means well'.
His former mantra 'Whatever is, is right' later becomes 'I like things the way they are because they suit me and because I don't know any better'.

Pretty much guys, it's a delicious Renaissance satire that places your tongue firmly in your cheek.
Poor, young Candide becomes an omen against excessive optimism, lest it become delusion in hindsight.
Happy Sardonic Saturday!

It can be downloaded for free via Project Gutenberg or bought via The Book Depository or Amazon.