While I am not yet finished with Candide, I have done some research on it.
I was amused at Voltaire’s inclusion of the character Pangloss the philosopher. He plays the role of teacher to Candide, yet his teachings are flawed. Pangloss confuses cause and effect in his logical reasoning, which is obviously intentional and done for satirical effect. It has been noted that Voltaire used Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s theories of Theodicy and Optimism (which heavily focused on God and religion) to construct Pangloss and his irrational theories.
Personally, I see Pangloss as an archetypical philosopher, one who makes flawed assumptions based on very little actual scientific knowledge, yet considers himself more intelligent than others. I am an advocate of science and do not believe that archaic philosophies should be applied to everyday life if humanity should wish to progress (Organized religion, anyone?) I also believe that philosophical thinking is a good exercise for the mind, but it seems too antiquated to be used in terms of modern, everyday life. In my opinion, had humanity not clung to dated morals and utilized the scientific method from the very start, we as a society could have advanced beyond where we are today.
