![]() ![]() Voltaire's masterpiece piles ridicule on Optimism, the fashionable philosophical belief that such disasters are part of God's plan for humanity - that 'all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds'.Often uproariously funny, the novel is a biting satire whose other targets include bad literature, extremist religion and the vanity of kings and politicians. Candide was written in the aftermath of a major earthquake in Lisbon and the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, events which caused such human suffering that they shook many people's faith in a benevolent God. First published in 1759, the novel follows the adventures of a young man, Candide, and his mentor, the philosopher Pangloss. Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Voltaire's novel Candide. ![]()
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