Voltaire is a keen observer of human experience, with a sharp eye for the "follies of human history." Which aspects of European history and...

This
question seems somewhat difficult to answer because 's subversiveness stretches so widely,
across all of European society as a whole. He criticizes the Church, the nobility, military
discipline and warfare, and sos on. I would say that in general, the core themes of
seem to be hypocrisy, pretense, and, perhaps most importantly, what one might refer
to as a "Problem of Evil."

When I speak of a "Problem of
Evil," I am referring to the ways in which Voltaire is deeply disturbed by the radical
turnings of fate. There is a deep cynicism at the heart of this book in how Voltaire understands
the human condition and the world around him. Cruelty, injustice, and brutality is pervasive.
You can look at Candide's own life to see an illustration of this and recognize that
his...