Humanities & Classics 1002
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Renaissance Forum
Humanities & Classics 1002 |
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In Reply to: Re: El Dorado posted by Shane Courtland on February 10, 1999 at 20:09:05:
I thought the whole thing view of positivism, or 'optimism' (as they call it in the book) is rather silly. Pangloss, Candide's mentor, was the one who tried to ingrain that way of thinking into Candide. Here's a quote about the definition of optimism, as said by Candide:
"Alas!" said Candide, "it is the mania of maintaining that everything is well when were are wretched."
Throughout the duration of the story, Candide whole-heartedly believes Pangloss, and his views on Optimism. His positive outlook does get him through a bunch of weird and trying times. Candide spends nearly the entire novel searching for his love, Cunegonde. He loves her dearly, and is sure that someday, they will find each other, and live happily ever after. His optimisim carries him far and wide, across and least 2 continents, and all sorts of different people and situations. And the whole time, he survives and is motivated by his desire to love and refind Cunegonde. And what happens when he finds her? I won't ruin the end for those of you who haven't read it yet (GO READ IT ALREADY!), but it seems as though it was all for nothing. I mean, it got him nowhere. In the end, he was worse off than when he began.
Voltaire seems to be criticizing those who do believe in optimisim, saying it may help through some things, but it's silly, because the world doesn't always work out the way you want it to, whether you're a positivist or not. I think the novel "Candide" shows that Voltaire is privately giggling at those positivists of the world. I think the character of Candide represents an ignorant, idealistic, positivistic person. He doesn't question Pangloss until he travels the world and sees different ways of thinking of himself. He's hopelessly in love with Cunegonde and is determined that the two will find one another one day. His positivistic tendancies do reunite him with Cunegonde (shoot, I ruined it for those who havn't read it...oh well, it's your own fault for not reading it yet), but maybe they shouldn't have met up again. I mean, she was a falling apart (literally) gigantic ugly mess. Everything he had loved her for was gone, and he was left with her inner beauty, which he couldn't care less about. His positivistic outlook ended up ruining the rest of his life!
Know, for my own thoughts, I think positivism is weird. I can't really describe the way I feel about it. I mean, it must be nice and comforting to know that "all is for the best in this best of possible worlds," (as said constantly by Pangloss) but I don't think that it'll get you home free. I think it's silly to believe it'll all turn out okay in the end, because what if it doesn't? Won't you feel like a fool?
My advice for the world is just to take everything one day at a time, and if that means missing your class one day because you feel you deserve to sleep in (like I'm doing for thursdays class, sorry mr. bacig, but I've been working really hard on this speech I have to give, and I just need sleep, no offense to you of course), then you should. It's only one day. And as for real situations, well, hope is always a good thing, but don't forget about the bad side of the world, too. I mean, it's good to hope and have faith and all that, but that's only have of reality. You have to realize that bad things happen sometimes too, and take it all in stride.
alissa :)