In the classic French novel Candide by Voltaire, Candide is depicted as an individual who does not have the world on his side. His story plays out like the book of Job without the happy ending as he and everyone he loves is mercilessly tortured and/or killed; yet Candide lives through and endures all of it and embraces the philosophies of optimism. The books message was at the time political one and it was one that was a strikeout against optimism as a lifestyle criticizing it as being stupid and worthless. But what does a faithful person do when they endure such tragedy? Furthermore why does such tragedy exist in the first place? These are not new questions by any means but they are still relevant. In Candide Voltaire strongly leaned towards an encouragement of accepting what has happened and forcing yourself to change your fate rather than letting your fate change you. I wonder now what kinds of things can be done in situations of such constant crises and how important it is that we learn from them. The book of Job suggests resilience in faith as the best answer; Candide suggests the abandonment of it. Ultimately if it is faith that keeps one going then it should be held onto but having read both texts and putting thought to both their philosophical viewpoints I feel situations such as those can only really be attended to on an individual level, and to generalize them is ultimately misguided.
Aaron Stein
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