Gottfried van Swieten

Who or what really defines evil? Is evil a malfunction of indwelling nature or natural occurrences? Certain circumstances such as catastrophes, plagues, wars, famine even poverty has haunted each and every individual from around the world in different seasons and for many reasons. That is not to say God does not exist, nor does that mean evil does not exist. On the contrary as a firm believer, I believe God allows things to happen not to break us or dismay us. But, rather to open our eyes and…

Voltaire’s magnum opus, Candide: All for the Best, also simply known as Candide, utilises the techniques of satire, imagery, symbolism and characterisation to convey some of the perils of the Age of Enlightenment through the thematic exploration of religion, war, optimism and philosophical speculation. Voltaire positions the reader to recognise the insincerity incumbent in organised religion as well as the futility of war at that time. He also positions the reader to comprehend the folly of…

In novels, we often encounter characters that are oblivious to reality and only see what they want to see. In Voltaire’s “Candide,” Dr. Pangloss is one of those characters. Throughout Voltaire’s short novel, Dr. Pangloss’ philosophy of optimism makes him appear blind to the suffering he goes through. Voltaire intentionally uses the characterization of Dr. Pangloss to poke fun at Leibniz’s philosophy. Similarly, to “Candide,” Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” also include characters who pride…

Introduction Gottfried Wilheim Leibniz lived between 1646 and 1716. He was a German philosopher, mathematician and logician. In his contribution to philosophy, he is known for his wide range of thought about fundamental philosophical ideas and principles which includes truth, necessary and contingent truths, possible worlds, the principle of pre-established harmony and the principle of non-contradiction. His principle of pre-established harmony argues that God created the universe in such a way…

Voltaire’s Candide is one of the most famous works of the Enlightenment. Voltaire questions a huge variety of ideas and social establishments through his satire, including the philosophy of Optimism promoted by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. It is generally accepted that Candide disputes Leibniz ' optimism; there are many instances that indicate this in the text, especially surrounding the Eldorado episode. Optimism is the idea that God created the “best of all possible worlds” (Leibniz 228), and…

Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan, initially performed in 1943 in Switzerland, spins around the character of Shen Teh/Shui Ta, playing on the possibility of goodness. Shen The is great, or possibly that is the thing that one should consider her to be, and Shui Ta is awful. In any case, the doubles wind up noticeably complex when the play contextualizes them with authentic realism, private enterprise, religion, charitableness, and the different meanings of contemporary ethical quality. The…

than in his magnum opus, Candide or Optimism. Biting, intelligent and often time’s quite humorous Voltaire’s satire felt nothing was sacred in 18th century Europe. At the novels core however, Voltaire challenged the optimism of Alexander Pope and Gottfried Leibnitz. Since its publication many have wondered what exactly Voltaire purposed to be the solution,…

Classic cars embody the zeitgeist of the era from which they came. The design of the fins and fenders, the materials, and even the colors all give an indication of when a classic car was made. Restoring this type of automobile to its original beauty, therefore, takes time, expert knowledge, and patience. If you’ve located a classic car that you’d like to restore, here are some of the repairs you’ll want to make plus some advice on where to go to find what you need. Get to Know Your Car Angie’s…

The follies is a fun and memorable event to experience. Many citizens of Mason City would recommend that you attend the follies. Each and every student in the follies works very hard on their act. The follies are held each year and it is a event that many people attend. The follies has made Mason City more exciting, made an event for people to see, and it created another fun activity for citizens to do. The follies take place in the month of February and have been occurring for a very long time…

I chose this question because my dad collects classic cars and I frequently see catalogs that come in the mail that are filled with parts for all sorts of car parts. I know my mom gets on my dad a lot about buying too many parts at a time because they can get very pricey. Why are the parts to pricey? I know that the parts themselves are fairly simple and much less complex than a part you would find for a new car. I assume that car parts are so pricey because the parts simply aren’t made anymore.…