Candide En Dannemarc, Ou L'Optimisme Des Honnetes Gens (1767)

The narrative follows Candide, a naive young man on a quest to uncover the truth about human nature and the philosophical ideas of his time. Through his travels, he encounters various characters representing societal flaws, including the corrupt wealthy, hypocritical religious figures, and misguided philosophers. Voltaire employs satire and humor to critique the era's excessive optimism, encapsulated in the notion that everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. This work remains a significant social and philosophical commentary from the Enlightenment period.