Steffi Dineros - Voltaire and His Critique on Optimism


Leibniz's idea of optimism states that the the world that we live in currently is "the best of all possible worlds", and that the misfortunes of one contribute to the overall good of everyone. Voltaire, in his story, Candide, attacks this notion, deeming it as an inexcusable rationalization of everything that was wrong with the world. He presents the reader with comedically tragic or just straight up tragic situations demanding one to open their eyes, and compelling them to realize that there is some really messed up stuff that has become normalized- maybe even embraced.

I guess what I want to ask here is: what have we normalized? Are we not freaking out enough over the things that are happening in the world? People should not be starving while I have the luxury of going to the dining hall for theme meals, with ice sculptures and chocolate fountains available for my indulgence! I could go on with other things, but it's meaningless to do so- because while I am ranting about this, I could just as easily go and look up and donate to charities who provide for those in need...Voltaire makes fun of those who act righteous when they themselves are just as terrible (if not worse). So I hope that I was not too preachy in writing this, while I haven't even done my part to improve the world a bit.

Would it even make a real difference?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Erica Gamester - Language and Poetry

For our optional homework assignment, we brought in poems to share with the class and reflect accordingly. I brought in an untitled poem by rupi kaur from her book, Milk and Honey …. (note: she prefers her name lowercased) "i want to apologize to all the women  i have called pretty. before i've called them intelligent or brave. i am sorry i made it sound as though  something as simple as what you're born with is the most you have to be proud of when your spirit has crushed mountains from now on i will say things like, you are resilient or, you are extraordinary not because i don't think you're pretty. but because you are much more than that - rupi kaur" The first notable aspect of this poem is the informality of grammar. The lyrics within the poem are seemingly sentences that separate over lines and random periods. However, this informal style is reflective rupi kaur's poetic style and cultural upbringing, as Punjabi langu...
Read more

Beauty of Simple Worship

Tonight I witnessed something truly beautiful. The campus ministry, Cru, gathered in the chapel full of new faces and fresh first year students. I was running late, but when I arrived I did not feel late at all. I felt overwhelmingly welcome, included and invited in by new and old friends alike. Community is a truly beautiful privilege in life. I walk through the doors and the worship team was leading the filled room in song. There were no microphones, but we were going to lift our voices and our instruments to glorify Jesus regardless of technical difficulties. The night went on and the speaker delivered a message on the call to love Jesus and to love each other, which is a beautiful message in and of itself. However, the time came to close in song. This was when I recognized something spiritually greater than myself, while still not of its own divinity. In this time I experienced the biblical meaning of church. Again we stood to lift up the name of God. I closed my eyes, for I did no...
Read more

Taylor Duffy - Reconsidering the Spiritual in Art

11/30 The part in reconsidering the spiritual in art that really struck me was the quote that said, "It was an artistic experience of art - a sense of the easy and seamless merger of religious and artistic experience, their inevitable reciprocity." In other words, you cannot have religion without art, and you cannot have art without religion. This made me think of van der leeuw's theological aesthetics section in Sacred and Profane Beauty. He states, "It is completely true that genuine, great art is, as a rule, also religious art; genuine, noble expression of the beautiful is simultaneously expression of the holy." This quote truly explains what art is and should be. It should be a creation of the most raw and spiritual experiences we have in our lives. This at least applies to great or fine art. It should evoke this holy awakening in the viewer. This is why creating art like singing a song or painting a fine painting is considered worship. There is such a ...
Read more