A Reflection of Voltaire's Candide (Essay Sample)

Voltaire is the author of several texts written in the enlightenment period. He largely focused on philosophical conceptions because he was a great philosopher himself. In one of his texts titled Candide, Voltaire focuses on social issues that he feels are inadequate for “Enlightenment”. He uses experiences and life encounters of Candide to demonstrate how the society failed to live to the standards of a society in its enlightenment course. Candide, from his young age, goes through many adventures. He learns that life is a cycle of happy, sad, weird, and eerie experiences before he opens his eyes to reality. Candide realizes that occurrences are not necessarily for the best as Pangloss, a philosophers and metaphysician, had advised him. All characters come to consensus at the end of the text and settle in a farm purchased by candide. They appreciate that happiness is only derived from honest and hard work, which was Voltaire’s message to his society. 
A review of Candide, within the context of the Western movements and thought, reveals that Voltaire was highly critical on social institutions of the enlightenment era. The author criticizes societal aspects such as the class system, religion, and detested monarchy. Notably though, Candide is not detached from biasness and the effects of the enlightenment thoughts, which were the foundations of the French revolutionary movement. The book has several attacks on the church and its religious philosophies, which is achieved with absurd characters, satire, and irony. Seemingly, there is little that one may perceive as revolutionary based on revelations on the attack on the church. The book focuses largely on hypocrisy within the church. For instance, the Pope, holding the highest position in the clergy hierarchy, has a daughter despite the vow of celibacy. Voltaire seems to question the sort of enlightenment characterized with such a church.
Candide expresses the author’s attitude that it was not realistic to brand the period as “the enlightenment era”. Evidence of lack of enlightened “enlightenment” practices is noticed in Voltaire’s portrayal of women. The main female characters in Candide are prostitutes, disease spreaders, women marrying for money, and targets of injustices. Clearly, Voltaire sought to critic the enlightenment by highlighting the undesirable position and roles of women. However, Voltaire does not think it is necessary to educate the lower class members of the society. "When the populace meddles in reasoning, all is lost" (Voltaire, 2013 ). This was satirical and intended to depict the social alignment of the time. The poor would remain poor and serve the upper and middle class, which was a mockery to enlightenment. Overall, Candide was critical and even inflammatory of the idea of enlightenment by virtue of exposing the weaknesses of the societal structure of that period. 
Voltaire seems to seek a proactive solution to challenges and problems that persisted during the enlightenment. Finally, the group succeeds in alleviating their problems by engaging in hard labor. “The little society, one and all, entered into this laudable design and set them to exert their different talents. The little piece of ground yielded them a plentiful crop” (Voltaire, 2013 ). Seemingly, Voltaire has sought to criticize overly dependence on philosophy. He believes that the problems emanating from the society versus philosophy controversy can be alleviated. 
Importantly, the novel has interesting characters used to reveal the uselessness of idle philosophy. Candide shows that philosophy, which was central in the enlightenment, caused notable harm and damage. For instance, Pangloss’, a strict follower of his philosophy called “metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology” expresses the beliefs that “This world is the best of all possible worlds and that there is a concatenation of all events in the best of possible worlds” (Voltaire, 2013 ). The impression is that Voltaire was in great controversy with the constituents of the enlightenment such as the overly reference to philosophies. 
Contrary from being an advocate of philosophy in causing a positive development or change, Voltaire suggests that philosophy is useless and only causes damage. Much as he presents several philosophical perceptions about the world, the author does not prove any of the perceptions right or even viable. “Martin’s extreme cynicism is not the way, Pangloss’ blinding optimism isn’t either, and therefore it seems that the only way for a true revolution to come about is if one turns off from philosophy completely” (Voltaire, 2013 ). This message is strange when coming from Voltaire considering he was once a renowned philosopher of his time. Rather, the ultimate message is that the use of philosophy in advancing the enlightenment was only grim. Voltaire seems to have disapproved the idea of enlightenment or revolutionary undertakings. Although not stated, he would prefer working and living on the old institutions of religion and philosophy. 
While it is evident that Voltaire is least interested in expressing revolutionary sentiments, readers notice that he does not highlight the popular concepts of the enlightenment in his text. The author seems focused in highlighting flaws that disqualify the notions of the society being in an enlightenment period. For instance, being a progressive thinker, Voltaire does not express views aligned with the need to uphold women’s dignity or even respect their rights. This is evident from the roles of women in his text. Notably, Voltaire may not have sought to demean women. Rather, he sought to express the perceptions of the society about women even at a time of the perceived enlightenment.