Asher P3 Team 2 Synthesis

In the Restoration era, writers, philosophers, and artists alike all criticized society for its flawed and distorted values. Most of these thinkers, like Rousseau, and Moliere, attacked high society and the social elite, blaming them for hypocritical elitism, contrary to their philosophical ideologies. One writer, Voltaire, attacked the biggest hypocritical, elitist institution of them all: the church. In Voltaire’s novel Candide, Candide and his mentor encounter several situations, which Voltaire uses to satirize the sacred hypocrisy of the church. One such situation Candide encounters, is the daughter of a pope, who, as a religious leader, and a priest, should be steadfast in celibacy. This, along with many other situations Candide encounters, emphasizes Voltaire’s of the religious hierarchy, although he does not attack the common god-fearing man in the story. Voltaire also goes on to address the ineffectual process of philosophical theorization. This idea is summarized in the novel, “The whole little group entered into this laudable scheme; each one began to exercise his talents. The little plot yielded fine crops… Pangloss sometimes used to say to Candide: —All events are linked together in the best of possible worlds; for, after all, if you had not been driven from a fine castle by being kicked in the backside for love of Miss Cunégonde, if you hadn’t been sent before the Inquisition… if you hadn’t lost all your sheep from the good land of Eldorado, you wouldn’t be sitting here eating candied citron and pistachios. —That is very well put, said Candide, but we must go and work our garden.” Voltaire uses this image as a way to criticize the philosophical speculation and intellectual posturing that was common of elite society types. If everyone works, there is no time for useless musings that serve no one, and everyone is happy and fruitful as a result. In this way Voltaire uses Candide to examine the current state of his society, and ultimately concludes that he and everyone else would be better off working.