Candide, ou l'optimisme

by Voltaire

"Candide, ou l'optimisme" by Voltaire is a French satire first published in 1759. Young Candide lives a sheltered life in paradise, taught Leibnizian optimism by his mentor Professor Pangloss, who insists "all is for the best" in the "best of all possible worlds." This idyllic existence ends abruptly, launching Candide through a series of hardships that slowly disillusion him. Through fantastical, fast-moving adventures, Voltaire ridicules religion, governments, armies, and philosophers while grappling with the problem of evil and ultimately advocating a practical precept: "we must cultivate our garden."