Candide ou lOptimiste FrancoisMarie Arouet Dit VOLTAIRE 252022
- Slides: 33
Candide ou l’Optimiste Francois-Marie Arouet Dit VOLTAIRE 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 1
Introduction • What does Candide mean? Why the subtitle? • John Ralston Saul and Voltaire’s Bastards – The Dictatorship of Reason in the West Why such a book? Why such a title? • Has the era of “globalization” betrayed the spirit of Voltaire and of the “Age of enlightenment? ” • Has the control of knowledge become the business of an elite betraying the very spirit of the Enlightenment while claiming to be its inheritors? 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 2
Outline of the presentation (part 1) 1) Origins of the “Enlightenment” 1. 15 th century bifurcation and the knowledge explosion of the Renaissance (16 th century) 2. Discoveries, science, religion and “humanism” 3. 17 th century and logical reasoning 4. Utopia and the notion of progress 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 3
Outline of the presentation (part 2) 2) The “Age of Enlightenment” 1. The “spirit” of the “Enlightenment”: a time of synthesis and debate 2. Human autonomy, finality of human actions, universality 3. Knowledge acquisition, spirit of inquiry, Aufklärung, liberation from existing systems 4. Progress or utopia? 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 4
Outline of the presentation (part 3) 3) Voltaire and Candide 1. Voltaire 2. What is Candide? 3. Aspects of Candide (criticism of “optimism”, Leibniz, religion, education, militarism, and the political and judicial systems) and tools used by Voltaire (Irony, satire, parody, pathos) 4. The philosophy of optimism and happiness: an ultimate utopia 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 5
Outline of the presentation (part 1) 1) Origins of the “Enlightenment” 1. 15 th century bifurcation and the knowledge explosion of the Renaissance (16 th century) 2. Discoveries, science, religion and “humanism” 3. 17 th century and logical reasoning 4. Utopia and the notion of progress 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 6
(1) Origins of the “Enlightenment” Julia Kristeva, Desire in Language: A semiotic Approach to Literature and Art, 1980, Columbia University Press The second half of the middle ages. . was a period of transition for European culture: thought based on the sign replaced that based on the symbol. 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 7
(1) Origins of the “Enlightenment” • Practically, what does that mean? • 15 th-16 th centuries – Explosion of knowledge and new vision of the world – End of a theological understanding of the world – Progressive doubts toward religious interpretation of reality – Beginning of a scientific interpretation of reality 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 8
(1) Origins of the “Enlightenment” • An Age of discoveries – – Geographic Scientific and medical Philosophical Religious • Humanism: a focus on “man” – Rabelais – Montaigne 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 9
(1) Origins of the “Enlightenment” • Utopia and the notion of progress – Thomas More: ou-topos (nowhere) and eutopos (place of happiness) – Myth of the Golden Age – Political space – Illusive progress 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 10
Outline of the presentation (part 2) 2) The “Age of Enlightenment” 1. The “spirit” of the “Enlightenment”: a time of synthesis and debate 2. Human autonomy, finality of human actions, universality 3. Knowledge acquisition, spirit of inquiry, Aufklärung, liberation from existing systems 4. Progress or utopia? 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 11
(2) The “Age of Enlightenment” • The “Enlightenment” (Tzvetan Todorov) – A European spirit – A time of synthesis, recapitulation, summing up – A time of debate and philosophical differences • Three majors traits – Human autonomy – Finality of human actions – Universality 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 12
(2) The “Age of Enlightenment” • Human autonomy – Emphasis on individual choice rather than on what is imposed by an external power – Need to have entire freedom to critique, to examine, to doubt, to make up one’s own mind – No longer any sacredness of authority -- Authority must be integrated with humanity, natural rather than supernatural – Rejection of magic and religious revelation – Separation of church (private sphere) and state (public sphere) – Greatest autonomy: that brought by knowledge and science (Newton) 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 13
(2) The “Age of Enlightenment” • Finality of human actions – Individuals responsible for their own actions – Quest for happiness replaces quest for salvation and love of fellow human beings replaces love for God – State there to serve the common good rather than a divine plan – Concept of “inalienable rights” • Right to life (capital punishment illegitimate; the Calas affair) • Integrity of the human body (torture illegitimate) • Integrity of the human race 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 14
(2) The “Age of Enlightenment” • Universality – Belonging to the human race more important than belonging to a specific society or nation – Practice of liberty contained in the principle of universality, but individual freedom limited by the rights inherent to all human beings – Sacredness no longer linked to religious dogma but to “human rights” – If all human beings have identical rights equal in rights (principle of equality) 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 15
(2) The “Age of Enlightenment” • Three more aspects of the Enlightenment (Yann Fauchois) – Education, knowledge acquisition, inquiry, pedagogy, independent thinking, central to the spirit of enlightenment – Increase in intellectual autonomy; rupture with traditions; concept of Aufklärung developed by Kant (closer to the English term “enlightenment” than the French term “lumieres”) – Enlightenment goes well beyond intellectual exchanges pan-European consciousness of the need for liberation from existing systems (will lead ultimately to the French Revolution) 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 16
(2) The “Age of Enlightenment” Progress and utopia – The myth of happiness as a condition of progress – Human law and natural law – Primitivism and the myth of the Noble Savage (Montesquieu, Diderot) – The myth of the return to nature (Rousseau) – Perfectibility as a promise of happiness (Rousseau) – Uchronia as utopia (belief in a better future) – Architecture and urbanism in utopian thinking 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 17
Outline of the presentation (part 3) 3) Voltaire and Candide 1. Voltaire 2. What is Candide? 3. Aspects of Candide (criticism of “optimism”, Leibniz, religion, education, militarism, and the political and judicial systems) and tools used by Voltaire (Irony, satire, parody, pathos) 4. The philosophy of optimism and happiness: an ultimate utopia 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 18
(3) Voltaire and Candide Voltaire – Important biographical milestones – – 1694 born in Paris (november 21) 1704 -1711 studies in rhetoric and philosophy 1713 diplomatic posting at the Hague 1716 imprisoned in the Bastille for eleven months after having published satirical writings on the mores of the Regent – 1718 Takes the pseudonym Voltaire when freed from geole – 1723 Publishes La Henriade, an epic about Henri IV – 1726 -1729 self-exile in England after a two-week incarceration at the Bastille 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 19
(3) Voltaire and Candide – 1734 publishes Lettres philosophiques – Enormous scandal – Letters sentenced to be burned – 1734 -1744 Voltaire hides at Cirey at the castle of of Emilie du Châtelet – 1735 Traité de métaphysique – 1738 Éléments de la philosophie de Newton – 1741 Mahomet ou le fanatisme – 1744 Becomes Louis XV’s historiographer – 1746 Elected to the Académie française – 1748 Zadig, first philosophical tale 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 20
(3) Voltaire and Candide – – – 1750 -1753 Berlin at the court of King Friedrich II of Prussia 1753 Settles in Ferney near Geneva 1756 Essai sur l’Histoire générale des mœurs 1757 Contributes to the 7 th volume of the Encyclopaedia 1759 Candide 1762 The Calas affair 1764 Dictionnaire philosophique portatif 1765 La Philosophie de l’Histoire 1770 Questions sur l’Encyclopédie (nine volumes) 1778 Comes back to Paris and dies in May 1791 Remains transferred to the Pantheon 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 21
(3) Voltaire and Candide Some characteristics of Voltaire – Terms that describe Voltaire: satirist, witty, insolent, polemical, pamphleteer, all manners that put him at odds with authorities and will lead to imprisonments and exiles – Advocate for social and judicial reforms – Calls for reforms of the French judicial system – Admirer of the British system of government – Critical of French monarchy and of the Church – Combats the “divine right” of French kings and the power of the church – Combats censorship – Shrewd business man: becomes very wealthy 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 22
(3) Voltaire and Candide What is Candide? – A philosophical tale – Candide, the eponymous hero, is a simple and credulous young man to whom his tutor, Pangloss, teaches a simplistic theory about optimism – The character of Cunégonde shows Voltaire’s misogyny – Candide goes from misadventure to misadventure – This gives Voltaire an opportunity to question theory as well as all metaphysical theories that cannot be scientifically demonstrated – Attack against fanaticism, intolerance, superstitions, and defense of pragmatism as a form of wisdom and lucidity 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 23
(3) Voltaire and Candide Some aspects of Candide and the tools used by Voltaire 1. A tale – Adventures, misadventures, travels, battles, love story, jealousy, etc. 2. Violent criticism of aristocracy (chapter 1) and of the feudal system (chapters 15 to 18) using satire 3. Germany as an illusion of paradise (Westphalia the poorest of German provinces – Germany reduced to clichés) Satire of Friedrich II of Prussia and of the philosopher king 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 24
(3) Voltaire and Candide 4. Criticism of Leibniz’ philosophy – Behind Pangloss, one can see Leibniz – Philosophy of Pangloss (which means “all languages” in Greek, or “does not stop speaking”) is dogmatic and grotesque (chapter 1) 5. All countries visited by Candide are reduced to clichés (France, chapter 22, Spain and Portugal, Chapters 6 and 13), Turkey (chapter 20) 6. Imitation of and inspiration from certain literary genres (Rabelais) – Parody of others (the roman précieux) 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 25
(3) Voltaire and Candide 7. Criticism of war and battles (chapter 3) using parody and ridicule – Chapter 3 ridicules wars, depicts suffering mixing satire and horror, condemns war and the kings’ use of them 8. Condemnation of fanaticisms – Chapter 6 central to Voltaire’s argument against fanaticism, criticism of universities (Coimbra) and condemnation of superstitions 9. Condemnation of slavery (chapter 19) 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 26
(3) Voltaire and Candide The philosophy of optimism and happiness: ultimate utopia criticized by Voltaire (chapters 17 -18) – Characteristics of utopia: wealth and luxury, pleasure, happiness and generosity, politeness and good manners – In fact nothing but a dream, ideal world becomes a caricature – Voltaire’s morale: that such a world is too perfect to exist and therefore cannot exist 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 27
Conclusion I • Voltaire is not considered a philosopher, but his influence on Western thought is one of the most important • His faith in humanity takes into account man’s weaknesses, but has nothing to do with naïve optimism • Voltaire’s rationalism is geared toward social action rather than toward dealing with the mysteries of the universe • However, the question of evil comes back constantly throughout his works, aggravated by his political pessimism and his metaphysical angst 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 28
Conclusion I • Voltaire has profound doubts about the order of things – He is profoundly affected by the Lisbon earthquake • Beyond his scientific relativism, his rejection of Leibniz’ providentialism, he becomes obsessed by religious fanaticism, which he calls “l’infâme” • Unable to influence the realm of politics, his propensity toward action leads him to fight the judicial system. Being • From the champion of reason, he becomes in the latter part of his life a passionate engaged intellectual fighting for justice, the first one in the history of France • To what extent is Voltaire himself a “Candide”, the one who asks perfectly unanswerable but crucial questions 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 29
Conclusion II Modernity as envisaged by the Enlightenment consisted simultaneously in developing knowledge, arts and sciences, and in using them for moral progress, greater justice and human happiness. The modern era has seen an institutionalization (professionalization) of cultural and scientific production that has increased the gap between the culture of experts and popular culture Jürgen Habermas 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 30
Conclusion II Our reality is dominated by elites who have spent much of the last two centuries, indeed of the last four, organizing society around answers and around structures designed to produce answers. . These structures have fed upon expertise and that expertise upon complexity. The effect has been to render universal understanding as difficult as possible… Never before in history have there been such enormous elites carrying such burdens of knowledge … 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 31
Conclusion II The possession, use and control of knowledge have become their central theme… However, their power depends not on the effect with which they use that knowledge but on the effectiveness with which they control its use. John Ralston Saul, Voltaire’s Bastards 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 32
Conclusion II Were Voltaire to reappear today, he would be outraged by the new structures, which somehow deform the changes for which he struggled. As for his descendants – our ruling elites – he would deny all legal responsibility and set about fighting them, as he once fought the courtiers and priests of eighteenth-century Europe. John Ralston Saul, Voltaire’s Bastards 2/5/2022 Dr. Pierre-Yves Mocquais 33
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