Candide

Candide, or Optimism by Voltaire (1759)

A naive young man, taught that "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds," is expelled from paradise and experiences every catastrophe imaginable — war, earthquake, slavery, disease — yet somehow survives. The most devastating satire of the Enlightenment.

Historical Significance:
Voltaire wrote Candide in 1758-1759, partly in response to the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which killed 30,000-50,000 people and shook European confidence in a benevolent God. The novella was published simultaneously in five countries in January 1759 and immediately banned everywhere — which only increased its sales. Voltaire denied authorship for years.

Candide is a sustained attack on Leibniz's philosophical optimism (satirized through Dr. Pangloss) and on religious hypocrisy, war, and human cruelty. Its final line — "we must cultivate our garden" — has been interpreted as Voltaire's practical philosophy: stop theorizing about the world and do useful work. It remains one of the most widely read works of the French Enlightenment.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1759. Free to read and share.