THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS VOLTAIRE POEM ON THE LISBON DISASTER & CANDIDE AUGUST 8, 2016
LECTURE OUTLINE 1. Lisbon Earthquake, 1755 2. Optimism and Suffering 3. Voltaire 4. Literary form 5. Expectations and Progress 6. Happiness
THE LISBON EARTHQUAKE November 1, 1755 Seismic information: 10 minutes, 3 jolts, estimated at 9.0 magnitude Lisbon was a cultural center of Europe, population 275,000 Destruction Far reaching, including Fez, Morocco Tsunami follows & fires break out in the city Death toll: 40-50,000
You may judge of the force of this shock, when I inform you it was so violent that I could scarce keep on my knees; but it was attended with some circumstances still more dreadful than the former. On a sudden I heard a general outcry, "The sea is coming in, we shall be all lost." Upon this, turning my eyes towards the river, which in that place is nearly four miles broad, I could perceive it heaving and swelling in the most unaccountable manner, as no wind was stirring. In an instant there appeared, at some small distance, a large body of water, rising as it were like a mountain. It came on foaming and roaring, and rushed towards the shore with such impetuosity, that we all immediately ran for our lives as fast as possible. - Charles Davy
THEODICY AND OPTIMISM Writes it in December 1755 Theodicy: Explaining the existence of evil Christian theological difficulty Voltaire equates evil with suffering (1) Optimism Alexander Pope: Whatever is is right & Great Chain of Being GW Leibniz: This is the best of all possible worlds
Behold the debris and ashes of the unfortunate These women and children heaped in common ruin, These scattered limbs under the broken marble. See the hundred thousand whom the earth devours! Torn, bloody, and still breathing, they are Entombed beneath roofs, and die without relief From the horror of their suffering lives.
OPTIMISM Rationalist view (Spinoza) becomes a Moral-Rational view (Leibniz) Consolation in optimism Voltaire s Critique It s really a form of naiveté! Experience of suffering shows the world is not for the best It s an irresponsible philosophy because it accepts and justifies suffering!
Voltaire s objection is on human, not philosophical grounds Claim: Sensitivity to suffering should be the foundation of our philosophy Claim 2: Recognition of suffering involves us in the situation Tranquil spectators you brave souls (1) Humanitarian ethic vs individualistic/selfinterested
WHY THE LISBON EARTHQUAKE? Natural disaster Relationship of God and nature Indiscriminate death off all people, including children Rousseau argues this is not a natural disaster; it s a city after all!
VOLTAIRE S ARGUMENT Abstract philosophy is easy Attributes causes: Necessity, justice, pride Ignores practical reality Voltaire s response: Focus on the suffering Examples counter necessity, justice, pride (1-2) Suffering is not part of the universal good! Rejected philosophies Optimists, Plato (idealist), Epicurus (materialist/pleasure), Bayle (skeptical empiricism)
The eternal law moves all things. The rocks, dropped by the power of the wind, And the sturdy oak, destroyed by lightning, Do not feel the crushing blows, But I live and feel. My oppressed heart Appeals to the heavens for relief.
POEM S CONCLUSION What am I? Where am I going? Where am I from? Limits of human knowledge Hope Will be vs. Is (hope and illusion) Caliph s list of things God lacks (imperfection) Voltaire adds hope Link between hope, revelation, and suffering (FN12)
VOLTAIRE 1694, Born as Francois-Marie Arouet, near Paris 1717, Imprisoned in Bastille, adopts the name Voltaire Lives throughout Europe Advocate for civil rights, toleration, and reason 1759, Publishes Candide 1778, Dies in Paris 1789, French Revolution begins
LITERARY FORM Satire: Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose human foolishness or vice (Am. Heritage) Critique what ought to be respected Time and culture specific Message is hidden (requires interpretation)
Farce: A light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and often slapstick elements are used for humorous effect (Am. Heritage) Risk: You miss satire when you focus on the farce Candide s humor
One day, as Cunégonde was walking the grounds of the castle, in the little wood which everyone called the park, she caught sight through the undergrowth of Dr Pangloss giving a lesson in experimental physics to her mother s chambermaid, a very pretty and tractable little brunette. Mlle Cunégonde had a natural aptitude for the sciences, and she noted breathlessly the repeated experiments to which she was witness; she saw clearly the doctor s sufficient reason, both the effects and the causes, and she returned home very agitated, very thoughtful, and very much filled with desire to be a scientist, reflecting that she might yet prove to be the sufficient reason of young Candide, who might in turn prove to be hers. (Ch1)
CHARACTERS AND NAMING Doctor Ralph Narrator, witness of war and suffering Candide Solid judgment and openness of mind Pangloss All tongue Optimist, Medieval philosopher, Leibniz caricature Martin as pessimistic foil Cunégonde and Cacambo
Candide s Journey
OPTIMISM & EXPECTATIONS Candide s experiences test the hypothesis that this is the best of all possible worlds Candide s new definition (52) Surinam, slavery, and sugar Text frustrates relationship between progress, reason, and expectations Predictive power of cause and effect Nonsense Pangloss s discourse (Ch1) Perspective Girls and Apes (Ch16) Readers expectations Corruption and multiple deaths
What is optimism? asked Cacambo. Alas, said Candide, It s the mania for insisting all is well when all is by no means well. (52)
PROGRESS Is knowledge a dead end? El Dorado, Pococurante, Turkish dervish Humane treatment of others? So many scenes of violence and suffering Failure of law. A just war? And yet, there are good people Reason as a tool of progress? Truth, practical reason, and hope
HAPPINESS Westphalia Garden of Eden Innocence, ignorance is bliss El Dorado Paradise Candide and Cacambo are happy Problem: They ll be like everyone else Wealth, power, and distinction Desire and restlessness Isolation of El Dorado
Candide kept saying to Cacambo: It s true, my friend, and I ll say it again: the castle where I was born can t compare with where we are now; on the other hand, Mme Cunégonde is not here If we remain here, we shall be just like everyone else; but if we return to the old world with only a dozen sheep loaded with Eldoradean pebbles, we shall no longer have Inquisitors to fear, and we shall easily rescue Cunégonde. This speech appealed to Cacambo: so pleasant it is to be on the move, to get ourselves noticed back home, and to boast of what we have seen on our travels, that our two happy wanderers resolved to be happy no longer and to seek his Majesty s permission to depart (Ch18)
ENDING: MAKE-THE-BEST-OF-IT GARDEN First ending (90): What changes? That is well said, replied Candide, but we must cultivate our garden (le jardin). Repetition of the point (Yes, but ) To cultivate your garden The farm (literal) Garden of your soul (metaphorical) English vs French gardens
POSSIBLE INTERPRETATIONS Cultivation Work as a process, not an end in itself Quiescence Keep your mouth shut, don t ask questions, accept the world as it is Fight poverty, vice, and boredom Suffering vs Boredom That s a hard question Distraction of hard work (avoid vice) Work toward justice (seek virtue)