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Voltaire's Candide (1759) |
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Semiquincentennial of
the Publication of Voltaire's Candide: ou l'Optimise (1759) |
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Voltaire (1694-1778) was one of the leading figures of the French Enlightenment. He first made a name for himself as a poet and playwright before turning to political philosophy, history, religious criticism, and other literary activities. Voltaire’s Candide, or Optimism (1759), a “philosophic tale”, is a clever satire of France in the mid-18th century. He makes fun of religious intolerance, the destructiveness of war, and the foibles of mankind. He concludes with a plea that we should all “cultivate our own gardens”.
[For further reading see the French Enlightenment]
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