Voltaire's View of War

A detailed Summary of Voltaire's View of War

In Candide or Optimism, Voltaire demonstrates a somewhat unique conception of war for his time, and manages to do so with something of a regard for humor. Throughout the book, Voltaire points to the oddities of war from all angles. He exposes the worthlessness of concepts such as honor and glory on the battlefield itself, he indicates that the causes of war are never sufficient, and that the leaders themselves are nothing without their armies or their empires. Voltaire is clearly of the opinion that war is a useless effort, but he does not give any indication as to what the limits of his point may be. The politics in Candide or Optimism are very petty, and merely make for a beginning to his case, and do not test its limits.

The world Voltaire lived in was not the greatest supporter of what is known now as human rights. While modern in language and reason perhaps, the practices of the time were anything but contemporary. Military enlistment, for exa

Battle itself seemed to be a matter of question to Voltaire. When the battle between the Bulgarians and the Abares began, Voltaire's opinion is not subtly masked. The greatness of honor, chivalry, and heroism taught and glorified by the powers that be, seemed pale next to the realities the battle brought to bear. Voltaire makes an obvious point of the "heaps of dead and dieing men," as well as the "dieing agonies"(p.7) of all those wounded in the "heroic butchery."(p.7) Voltaire drags through Candide's awful experience through the battlefield and surrounding town, making note of the constant display of flesh and agony. The pain and human consequences of war make it seem hardly worth the effort.

mple, is in modern times typically a voluntary matter. In the past, however, it was not uncommon to find yourself fooled into service. Candide, for example, fell victim to such a hoax towards the beginning of his travels when meeting up with men at an inn. With little effort, the men ma

Some common words found in the essay are:
Abares Voltaire's, Candide Optimism, Optimism Voltaire, candide optimism, managed candide,

Approximate Word count = 663
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics

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Voltaire's View of War

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