Candide, or On Optimism is one of the most well-known texts that François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) passed on to posterity. It demonstrates the philosophical acumen of Voltaire, whilst simultaneously serving as a showcase for his political engagements and enormous satirical talent. Additionally, Candide also is one of the more brilliant treatments of the so-called "problem of evil" from the Enlightenment era, and is filled with references to the various tumults and transformations of this important time period.
Candide is therefore an ideal introduction, not only to Voltaire and his body of work, but to the intellectual world of a newly modern Europe whose ideas have shaped the world for...
