Voltaire’s Utopia

From the first moment we start reading Candide we are introduced to Pangloss philosophy that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds”(back cover). As we continue reading we notice that where Candide lives and what he goes through is the complete opposite of what Pangloss states. In chapters 18 and 19, the characters reach a place called ElDorado where “the farmer and the landscape gardener had been equally busy in this countryside, and everything which served the needs of man was pleasing to the sight” (74). With this place is where Pangloss philosophy is reflected. “it is probably the country where all goes well”(77).

This place can also been seen as a utopia that Voltaire has created. A place where poverty does not exists and has “been sheltered from the greed of European nations, who have quite irrational lust” (79). He has created a place where there is no religion and no one is imprisoned. Even though Candide likes it there he still prefers to go back to where he came from. This brings me to say that that really a utopia does not exist, but each individual creates its own. What may be perfect for you may not be perfect to someone else. Candide agreed with the fact that everything in ElDorado was perfect, still he did not want to stay there because “I shall never be happy without Lady Cunegonde”(82) it is as if he’s utopia would be being with Lady Cunegonde.

Today nothing is a utopia but that is just what I think, for example Zhand Wei Wei professor at the Geneva school of Diplomacy and International Relations states in his article Eight Ideas Behind Chinas Success what he thinks makes China “one of the word’s largest economy”(NYT). He shares with us eight reasons that have made China become what it is now. In a way, what he shares is his view of a utopia because he feels that China is on some way perfect. For many people utopias don’t exist and they believe that nothing can be perfect, that there is always going to be suffering. Other people, likeZhang Wei Wei create their own utopia. That is up to us, weather we want to believe something perfect or face the fact that not “all is for the best”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/opinion/01iht-edzhang.html?scp=9&sq=utopia&st=cse