Satire In Candide

Voltaire is one of the most influential of the philosophes from the enlightenment, and much of this is attributed to his ability to educate readers through entertainment. Voltaire uses his novel, Candide, as a way to educate readers on the enlightenment ideals of tolerance, reason, and progress, and, therefore, contributing greatly to the shift from the prescientific worldview to the age of reason. Through his satire on religion, Voltaire caused a disruption in the faith of the system in the promotion of reason. Following closely to this is his bitter satire on optimism. Voltaire channels his anger into the satire on the existing social and political spheres. The reader laughs at the novel, but also experiences a learning process. Subconsciously,