candide

Candide, ou l'Optimisme, is a satirical novella by Voltaire, first published in 1759. It is a landmark work of the Enlightenment, blending travel narrative with philosophical critique. The story follows Candide, a young German-speaking student at the castle of the Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh in Westphalia, who is taught by the philosopher Pangloss that they live in the best of all possible worlds. After his romance with Cunégonde leads to his expulsion, Candide embarks on a long journey that takes him through Europe, South America, and the Ottoman Empire. Along the way he encounters war, natural disasters, religious hypocrisy, and political oppression: the Lisbon earthquake and the Inquisition, shipwrecks, piracy, slavery, and brutality. His companions include the cynical philosopher Martin and the resourceful servant Cacambo, as well as Cunégonde and an old woman who survives countless misfortunes.

In El Dorado Candide encounters a utopian society whose inhabitants live without vanity or oppression, a contrast to the corruption he has witnessed. He leaves with wealth, only to learn that riches do not guarantee happiness. The narrative continues with further travels and misfortunes before Candide and his companions eventually return to Europe and settle on a small farm near Constantinople, where they seek a simpler life. The work’s major themes include a critique of optimistic metaphysics, organized religion, and social injustice, delivered through irony, episodic satire, and philosophical dialogue. Candide is widely regarded as a foundational text of modern satire and philosophical prose, and its final insistence on practical labor—“we must cultivate our garden”—is often cited as a defining ethical conclusion.