"I still feel now as I did at the outset... I am a philosopher after all. It wouldn't do for me to go back on what I said before..." (Voltaire, "Candide" Chapter 28 page 83).
This is spoken by Pangloss, a philosopher who has at this point in the story had many terrible things happen to him. In this quote, he is referencing his philosophy that everything was made for a purpose and everything is necessary for the best purpose. Basically, 'all is for the best.' Despite the many terrible things such as plague, near death and continual beatings he suffered, he would still hold his philosophy that everything happens for a reason. His philosophy is surely flawed in the sense that all is not for the best. That would mean that the Holocaust and murder and every possible sin is also for the best, when it is not.
His insane immovable philosophy reminds me of a villain known as Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. This villain lived by the rule of never going against his word or against chance. When people were offered to live or die by the flip of a coin, he gave them the option to choose heads or tails. If they guessed correctly, they would live. If they didn't, he would kill them because he "had to." He could not be flexible or merciful, only justice ruled his life and his actions. He is not human in my opinion for this reason. He is a villain that we cannot win or understand. His code of conduct is strictly ruled by chance murder. All is NOT for the best. Pangloss, the immovable philosopher needs to think more infinantly rather than totality. Once he thinks he has life figured out, he has lost his connection with it. Like Pangloss and Chigurh, we cannot think that everything happens for the best. Everything just happens, and it is our choice on what we do with each happening.
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