The Reason for the Optimist Philosophy
One of the main questions for everybody is whether everything occurs with us is for better or for worse. Voltaire in his Candide presents something like implicit discussion between optimist and pessimist philosophy. Doctor Pangloss expresses optimist point of view. I disagree with some of his statements, in particular regarding the grounds of his ideas. Nevertheless, I believe in optimist philosophy, because only human being itself is the main source of the evaluation of his life events, their role and consequences, and, therefore, the source of the future decisions and life.
I should begin with the explanation of what optimist philosophy of Pangloss is to explain further my own point of view. According to the Pangloss idea, everything that happens in this world leads to the better state of things and every event that occurrs in this world, occurrs due to this dominate principle of the world. Even the worst things which happen with people should lead to the further improvement of the world.
As for me, this statement is rather disputable. We are to take into account personal approach to this issue. In other words, it should be noticed, that the word “better” supposes, that we should know for whom it became better after something had happened. In history, and even in everybody’s life we can see plenty of examples when something occurs and influences us, and these events happen not due to our own will, as well as the consequences of these events and further changes in our life are not surely for better. Sometimes it can seem that the major part of the events of our life happens for worse. In Candide we can see this approach in the arguments of the philosopher Martin. Even Candide, the follower of the Pangloss, very often feels disappointment in his teacher’s philosophy.
Sure, this point of view has some reasons for its existence. Really, we are to agree that sometimes our world is very dangerous place for us and that some things can be for worse for us unambiguously. Nevertheless, it should be noticed, that this world is a world of people and in the most cases people’s activity is the dominate force in the world. Our attitude to our own life events can determine our further life. Sometimes, we can not decide what should happen, but in most cases we can decide what should we do after, how to estimate the consequences. Even being for the worse at the time, our life occurrences can teach us, making us stronger when we overcome the consequences. Being weak children, we can start to go in for sports. In its turn, our trainings make us stronger, more healthy, confident and disciplined. The discipline can lead to the ability to study hard and win goals in this life. Thus, overcoming physical weakness one can become better and create new possibilities in his life. So, is something for better or for worse and where it can lead depends on our attitude to this fact.
In conclusion I want to say that, in my opinion, the basis for the confidence to the optimist philosophy consists in the statement that a man is the measure of all things, especially of the events of his life. The statement about tendency to better, as well as to worse state of things, is too generalized and often free of personal sense and comprehension of the role that every man plays in his own life. Not the Universe, but every human being tries to improve the state of the things, being a main character of his life. This is the reason for me to believe in optimist philosophy.
