Candide and the theme of Moral Truths
Voltaire uses the protagonist, Candide, to imply that moral truth is subjective therefore, there will never be an absolute level of morality.Presented in this light,true morality is relative to the balance between a person´s good and bad actions ie. when the good that a person does surpasses the evil that they have done. For example, Candide says ‘if I had not been so lucky as to run Miss Cunegonde’s brother through the body, I should have been devoured without redemption'(Voltaire, 1999).Candide explains that he killed to protect himself and therefore he is justified for doing so. Any evil he might have committed is condoned by the subsequent good result. There is a incident when Candide kills the monkeys that were biting the buttocks of young ladies but these turned out to be their lovers. This is an example of Voltaire´s concept of moral truth. Although he killed two people he has saved the lives of the girls.
Besides, moral truth involves struggling to make sure that the lives of his loved ones are improved. ‘We must tend our garden’, he says so Candide helps Pangloss, Cunaagode and the old woman with a pure heart by buying a farm so that they start cultivating to get ahead in life.
All in all the concrete connections I make between candide and the course theme of moral truths is that moral truth relative to the balance between your deeds and the level of commitment to you loved ones.
