In Voltaire's Candide, we are led by the hand through an adventure that spans two continents, several countries and a multitude of adverse characters. The protagonist, Candide, became the recipient of the horrors that anyone would have faced in the 18th century. But Candide was always accompanied by other sufferers, two of whom we will focus our attention on, Pangloss and Martin. Likewise, both are incarnations of different philosophies of the time: Pangloss the advocate of optimism and Martin the advocate of pessimism. Each of the two travelers is never with Candide, until the end, but both lead him to imagine the world according to one of their two philosophies. Throughout the story there is an apparent ebb and flow on Candide's part in how to think about the world. At the end of his journey, Candide will be presented with evidence that will lead him to an agreement between optimism or pessimism. But I point out that Candide does not become a firm believer in either philosophy, but rather maintains a philosophy between optimism and pessimism, a kind of stoic mentality. So Voltaire's opinion on philosophy will be based on his character, Candide. At first Candide, who at this time lives in a German castle, was taught by the famous philosopher Pangloss. Pangloss teaches the ideals of optimism. Throughout the novel Pangloss' teachings are coined in a single phrase: "all this is the best there is" (Voltaire, Candide, 13). At the beginning of the tragedies Candide experiences, it is evident that although everything may be horrible, it is the best of all things. This suggests that Candide also believed in the optimistic worldview. The reason why Candide clings to the ideals of optimism may be due to his... middle of paper... previous ideals, even though he exclaims not to turn against them. Despite the philosophical arguments Candide “affirmed nothing” (Voltaire, Candide, 96). I believe this is the final indication of where Voltaire places his philosophical value. I believe Candide's last sentence at the end of the novel is an indicator that neither optimism nor pessimism is entirely valid in the world. Candide's final philosophy lies in the middle ground, a rather stoic stance towards life. Don't focus on the terrible but don't be naive in suggesting that all is right with the world. Gardening, then, becomes Voltaire's metaphor for the fact that by centering his life on what he can control, he accepts the obvious horrors of the world but, at the same time, does not allow them to influence his life. Works Cited Voltaire, , and Roger Pearson. Candido: And other stories. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Print