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Does Voltaire’s Candide present us with a main character who grows and learns
because he wishes to (as indicated in Kant’s defnition of enlightenment), or do things
instead only happen to Candide, suggesting that the novel presents a largely deterministic
understanding of the world, wherein free will is given a very minor role?
Voltaire offers a unique outlook of life by juxtaposing the notion of free will against that of
blind faith sparked by a desire of a positive outcome, what he calls the “best of all possible worlds”
(Voltaire 5). He derides determinism through Candide’s character, by casting the protagonist as a
gullible and overly optimistic young man torn between blind faith and reality. Candide’s quest to
find a balance between fully submitting his will to the thoughts and others actions and taking
charge of his own destiny by blind faith illustrates the concept of free will in Voltaire's novel. This
is evidenced by Voltaire’s portrayal of free will as limited.
Voltaire uses Candide to satirize optimism, specifically the absolute optimism espoused by
Leibniz epitomized by the statement “all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds”
(Voltaire 5). Candide starts off as an optimist, an optimism that becomes increasingly absurd as the
story progresses. However, Voltaire refutes this philosophical formulation of optimism satirically
by allowing Candide to adopt a pessimistic attitude. The combination of Pangloss’s philosophical
arguments and Candide’s seeming blind adherence to the same is Voltaire’s attempt to prove the
logical fallacy of Leibniz’s philosophy of optimism. Voltaire sees this as a convenient excuse to
rationalize injustice rather than tackle it. Such folly is reflected in the character of Doctor
Pangloss advocates for optimism at all costs.
Voltaire’s characterization of Candide as a man without a mind of own, incapable of
making independent decisions pokes fun at the foolish optimism espoused by renaissance
philosophers such as Baron von Leibniz. Contrary to popular belief, Voltaire does not reject or
deny free will in its entirety. Candide is the illegitimate nephew of a rich and powerful, who
hires Dr. Pangloss, a philopher to mentor him. Pangloss’ ideology is one of boundless optimism,
and he soon persuades Candide to believe in optimism to a fault. Candide befriends the baron's
daughter, an action that gets him excommunicated from the kingdom. He remains unfazed,
despite his misfortune, and continues to believe that everything in the world is as it should be.
More mishaps plague him, including being beaten up, facing death in an earthquake, losing his
fortune, and having his lover forcibly taken from him. Candide comes off as immature and
incapable of independent thought, unenlightened in Kant’s view.  Immanuel Kant believed that
enlightenment allows individuals to make sound decisions grounded in reason and the free will
without the interference or coercion by others. In his view, several principles undergird the
attainment of enlightenment, the first being independent rational capacity or the ability to make
judgment without tutelage. Kant argues, therefore, that “enlightenment is the awakening of man
from his self-imposed tutelage” (Kant 29) which produces a “real transformation of the way of
thinking” (Kant 31).  The “courage to use own understanding” in life is a sign of maturity or
human adulthood (Kant 29). Candide lacks this ability in the first half of the novel, thus does not
grow and learn because he is enlightened or he wishes as articulated by Kant.   He seems eternally
trapped in a self-imposed tutelage, a sign of laziness and cowardice which renders him a life-time
adolescent (Kant 34). Freedom of judgment is another prerequisite for the attainment of
enlightenment. Candide journeys through life with immaturity and avoids making his own
philosophical assertions, sometimes even letting those around think for him and act as his
surrogate think-tanks. Rather than just retreating and truly reflecting on life for himself, Candide
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eagerly to believes the outrageous beliefs of Pangloss and finds it difficult to let go. Even when
Candide is confronted with opportunities to reassess Pangloss’ ideologies, he still depends heavily
on other people’s ideologies. While his attitude is ridiculous, it is neither unnatural nor rare—far
quite often, people navigate through the world blindly, clinging to ideologies and lifestyles without
analyzing their reasons for actin the way they do.
Candide is a gullibility personified, an easily swayed young man willing to take a gamble
by trusting in the innate goodness of his fellow man at the expense of exercising his free will.
Initially, Candide unquestioningly accepts Pangloss’s idealistic worldview. His lack of free will is
evidenced by the statement, “I wish he was here,” reluctant to question Pangloss’ way of thinking
and make decisions based on his own will (Voltaire 71). He does not fully reject Pangloss’s
philosophy until towards the end of the novel when he realizes that his long-held sets of beliefs do
not conform to reality. It is with this realization that he decides to adopt another belief system.
Candide meets a farmer who believes in labor or hard work as he ultimate solution to life's
challenges. Instead of having a mind of his own, Candide relied heavily on other people's belief
systems as a convenient scapegoat to avoid being rational. Throughout the book, Candide
surrounds himself with highly opinionated people. It is not through his intellect, but by the words
and deeds of others, that Candide survives till the end of the narrative.
Voltaire explores the concept of free will, specifically the lack of it though Candide’s
struggle to exercise his free and submit to others’ will in the novel.   This is illustrated by Voltaire's
depiction of free will as being limited. Voltaire uses Candide to criticize optimism, in particular
absolute optimism, marked by Leibniz's belief in the existence of the best of two possible worlds.
Initially, Candide unquestionably embraces the optimistic ideology perpetuated by Pangloss.
Candide begins as an optimist, an optimism that becomes increasingly absurd as the story unfolds.
Voltaire’s depiction of Candide as a man without his own mind, unable to make independent
choices, derides people who choose to hide behind blind faith but ultimately contribute to the
destruction of society in the name of optimism.
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Works Cited
Voltaire. Candide. Trans. Lowell Bair. New York: Bantam Classics, 1959. Print.
Kant, I. 1983. Perpetual Peace and Other Essays on Politics, History and Morals, edited Ted
Humphrey. Indianapolis: Hackett.