Ignorance is Bliss (Candide Chapters 1-3)

Voltaire's novel Candide starts off by introducing us the main character, Candide, a young boy living in his supposed uncle(the Baron)'s castle in Westphalia, where he lives a good, healthy life and he recieves an education, based primarily on the philosophical teachings of his teacher, Pangloss. These teachings are based mainly on the philosophy of cause and effect, everything happens because of something else. "He could prove to admiration that there is no effect without a cause;" (Voltaire, Candide). These were the basic things that Candide learned. This idea of cause and effect might also bring us to the idea of destiny, or things happening to a person for a reason. What if Candide was meant to be thrown out of the castle for being in love with Cunigund? I think him being thrown out was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was bad in the sense that he had nowhere to, no money whatsoever and he was completely naïve and ignorant to everything. He actually believed in everything his master taught him and had no idea of the things that were going on in the "real world". He had no clue as to what was going on with the Bulgarians and war, and he had no knowledge of the Pope, or, for that matter, of religion. In the world outside of the castle, he was frowned upon for his ignorance. He was also able to be manipulated by others, something which cost him greatly when it came to the Bulgarians. They convinced him he was a hero and he went with them, only to be treated like a slave. Still, it was good that he learned about the outside world and how things really were. Maybe this is Voltaire's way of making fun of royalty, or mocking them, showing them as a people who have no real clue as to what's actually going on and their ignorance towards the common man. Still, Candide is just overwhelmingly naïve. Also, does it might seem as if Voltaire was making fun of the church, or religion, attacking them for manipulating people's minds and not helping others. This might occur where Candide is in Holland and he is not helped by a man who asks him if he believes "the Pope to be Antichrist" because Candide has no idea who he is. The "mockery" of the church might also be seen when, after being cursed by the religious man, Candide is helped and aided by a man who is not a christian, perhaps showing the hypocrisy of the Church where its followers don't help others even though it is a basic "rule" of the church.

"Ignorance is Bliss," this might fit into the novel due to the fact that Candide, despite living in ignorance and naïtivity, lives in complete happiness. He lives in one of, if not the, greatest castle in all of Westphalia and the world, he eats well and he learns "everything" with his teacher. He believes everything he knows to be real because he believes his teacher tells him he is the greatest philosopher in the world. He is naïve enough to believe this, but he lives happy because he believes what he knows to be completely true. Even when he is in Holland, and people are taking advantage of him or frowing upon him, he still believes his ideas to be true, and continues to praise his teacher Pangloss. "Now I am convinced that my Master Pangloss told me truth when he said that everything was for the best in this world; for I am infinitely more affected with your extraordinary generosity than with the inhumanity of that gentleman in the black cloak and his wife." (Voltaire, Candide).