Candide Pt. 1: Reason in Everything

“‘It is demonstrable,’ said he, ‘that things cannot be otherwise than they are; for as all things have been created for some end, they must necessarily be created for the best end. Observe, for instance, the nose is formed for spectacles; therefore we wear spectacles. The legs are visibly designed for stockings; accordingly we wear stockings. Stones were made to be hewn and construct castles; therefore my lord has a magnificent castle; for the greatest baron in the province ought to be the best lodged. Swine were intended to be eaten; therefore we eat pork all year round. And they who assert everything is right, do not express themselves correctly; they should say that everything is best.’”

                                                               -Candide, Voltaire, 12

Master Pangloss’s sentiment that everything that happens is for the best, and that we do things simply because it was “intended” and “designed” that we do so establishes an attitude that what happens in life is little more than destiny, and that our control over the circumstances surrounding us is limited to what was “made to be”.

From this, I glean that Pangloss means to argue that everything happens for a reason. And there are many that would agree with him. In times of distress and tribulation, this little phrase gets pulled out of our hope hats, and it provides some sort of comfort, some place of solace, some form of reason to the madness encompassing us.

That being said, having seen what I’ve seen in my life, having gone through what I have gone through, and having learned what I have learned, I cannot with faith and zeal profess that I believe everything happens for a reason. I cannot uphold that everything happens for a reason, because in so doing, I would surrender culpability luck—and I cannot believe that rape, child abuse, and drug addiction are nothing more than fate wielding her powers over us. There must be accountability, must be liability, must be justice. Instead of the eternal optimism Pangloss preaches, I fear I would lose all hope in the world if there was no answerability for all the anguish and pain we bequeath one another.

 Instead, I allege that it is our responsibility, and somehow at the same time our privilege, to find the reason in everything that happens. This may seem like I am simply restating the words in a different order, and that in so doing, they maintain the same meaning, but this is not what I mean to do. My meaning is very much different and distinct from the former assertion. My claim means to say that we are to look deeply into the conditions—good and bad—we find ourselves to be in and give them meaning—give them something so that we are bettered for having experienced them.

And so, in reading Pangloss’s words, I am amused at his absurdity and complete illogicality. I find beauty in their inaccuracy, because I am more fully convinced of my own convictions: everything does not happen for a reason, but I can find the reason for everything that happens.