One of the main themes throughout the Enlightenment period deals with man’s place in the universe and his relationship with God. Many Enlightenment thinkers share the thought that God has no imperfections, therefore he created a perfect world that we humans live in today. German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz claims that God has created the best of all possible worlds. Two of the most well known Enlightenment writers, Alexander Pope and Francois-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, share their own opposing opinions on this idea throughout their pieces of writing. Pope’s Essay on Man serves as a theodicy, a genre that asks how evil exists in the world if God is all good and powerful. Pope believes that God has created a design for
…show more content…
Most people of the Enlightenment claimed that the world could best be studied through the power of human reason. This idea was derived after the scientific method. Soon after observing the way Isaac Newton described the world, thinkers of the Enlightenment era decided that rather than using religious scriptures to understand the world, they would instead use science and reason. Alexander Pope discusses the necessary limitations on human judgement in Essay on Man, implying that humans cannot reason what they do not already know. “Vast chain of Being! Which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel man, Beast, bird, fish, insect, what no eye can see,”. (237) Pope claims that although man can not see God’s plan as a whole, the universe works accordingly to a plan that God made good. He suggests that evil is an illusion, and the parts that may not seem good are indeed a part of God’s unknowable plan of happiness. The last line of Essay on Man says “One truth is clear, Whatever Is, Is Right.” In result of not seeing through God’s perspective, Pope believes that no man should question God’s plan because we have limited knowledge and it would be impossible to perceive it in the correct way. Everything is said to happen for a specific …show more content…
Candide was written in response to a devastating tragedy that haunted Voltaire for years. On November 1, 1755, an earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal, killing thirty thousand people. Voltaire wondered how anybody could portray optimism out of such a devastating event. Throughout Candide Voltaire includes numerous exaggerative sufferings that the characters survive in order to ridicule the philosophical optimism that Pope presents. “Raped, cut to pieces, hanged, stabbed in the belly, the central characters of Candide keep coming back to life at opportune moments, as though no disaster could have permanent effects.” (Puchner) Voltaire’s opinion of reason differs from Pope’s because Voltaire believes that humans should use reason to give their own lives meaning. Voltaire uses an example of this throughout Candide. The main character, Candide, develops a strong desire to be with a beautiful woman named Cunegonde. Candide faces many struggles and sufferings to be with Cunegonde, however once Candide has her in his reach he no longer wants to be with her. He is afraid that his life will become static, having no reason to move forward. Voltaire expresses that humans give their own life meaning, instead of living through the order of God. Furthermore, Pope’s novel takes more of an optimistic view while Voltaire
Most people of the Enlightenment claimed that the world could best be studied through the power of human reason. This idea was derived after the scientific method. Soon after observing the way Isaac Newton described the world, thinkers of the Enlightenment era decided that rather than using religious scriptures to understand the world, they would instead use science and reason. Alexander Pope discusses the necessary limitations on human judgement in Essay on Man, implying that humans cannot reason what they do not already know. “Vast chain of Being! Which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel man, Beast, bird, fish, insect, what no eye can see,”. (237) Pope claims that although man can not see God’s plan as a whole, the universe works accordingly to a plan that God made good. He suggests that evil is an illusion, and the parts that may not seem good are indeed a part of God’s unknowable plan of happiness. The last line of Essay on Man says “One truth is clear, Whatever Is, Is Right.” In result of not seeing through God’s perspective, Pope believes that no man should question God’s plan because we have limited knowledge and it would be impossible to perceive it in the correct way. Everything is said to happen for a specific …show more content…
Candide was written in response to a devastating tragedy that haunted Voltaire for years. On November 1, 1755, an earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal, killing thirty thousand people. Voltaire wondered how anybody could portray optimism out of such a devastating event. Throughout Candide Voltaire includes numerous exaggerative sufferings that the characters survive in order to ridicule the philosophical optimism that Pope presents. “Raped, cut to pieces, hanged, stabbed in the belly, the central characters of Candide keep coming back to life at opportune moments, as though no disaster could have permanent effects.” (Puchner) Voltaire’s opinion of reason differs from Pope’s because Voltaire believes that humans should use reason to give their own lives meaning. Voltaire uses an example of this throughout Candide. The main character, Candide, develops a strong desire to be with a beautiful woman named Cunegonde. Candide faces many struggles and sufferings to be with Cunegonde, however once Candide has her in his reach he no longer wants to be with her. He is afraid that his life will become static, having no reason to move forward. Voltaire expresses that humans give their own life meaning, instead of living through the order of God. Furthermore, Pope’s novel takes more of an optimistic view while Voltaire