A Comparative Analysis of 'Candide' and 'Pythagoras’s Travels' in the Context of Radical and Moderate Enlightenment Thought

Abstract

This study offers a comparative analysis of Candide (1759) by Voltaire and The Travels of Pythagoras (1799) by Sylvain Maréchal, focusing on the Enlightenment’s central concepts of “reason,” “religion,” and “utopia.” Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Ruth Levitas, Jonathan Israel, and Bronisław Baczko, it distinguishes between the “moderate” and “radical” strands of Enlightenment thought and situates both works within this ideological spectrum. Candide critiques metaphysical optimism and religious fanaticism through an ironic narrative, while the “Eldorado” episode presents an unattainable and temporary model of an ideal society; ultimately, the work proposes a limited life practice grounded in reason, experience, and labor on an individual scale. This approach reflects Voltaire’s moderate Enlightenment stance, characterized by cautious and pragmatic utopianism. In contrast, The Travels of Pythagoras employs the fictional journeys of an ancient sage to articulate a critique of institutional religion, advocate for social equality, and envision an atheist social order. Maréchal, in line with the radical Enlightenment tradition, advances ambitious goals such as the abolition of private property, the adoption of communal living, and the establishment of absolute equality, framing them within a utopian vision. The comparative evaluation reveals that Voltaire’s critical yet reformist perspective and Maréchal’s revolutionary and transformative approach represent the ideological diversity within Enlightenment literature. In this context, the study aims to make visible the internal differentiations of Enlightenment thought through literary texts and to discuss, within a historical framework, the role of utopian narratives as instruments of social and political critique.

Keywords

• French Language
• Literature and Culture

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References

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Cite this publication

@article{morkoc2025comparative,
  author = {Morko{\c{c}}, Dr. Hasan},
  title = {{A Comparative Analysis of 'Candide' and 'Pythagoras's Travels' in the Context of Radical and Moderate Enlightenment Thought}},
  journal = {Hacettepe University Journal of the Faculty of Letters},
  volume = {43},
  number = {1},
  pages = {379--398},
  publisher = {Hacettepe {\"U}niversitesi},
  year = {2025},
  month = {7},
  issn = {1301-5737},
  doi = {10.32600/huefd.1744077},
  url = {https://hacettepe.hbtech.com.tr/en/publication/radikal-ve-ilimli-aydinlanma-dusuncesi-baglaminda-candide-ile-pisagorun-seyahatlerinin-karsilastirmali-incelemesi},
  language = {tr},
  keywords = {French Language, Literature and Culture},
  abstract = {This study offers a comparative analysis of Candide (1759) by Voltaire and The Travels of Pythagoras (1799) by Sylvain Mar{\'{e}}chal, focusing on the Enlightenment's central concepts of ``reason,'' ``religion,'' and ``utopia.'' Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Ruth Levitas, Jonathan Israel, and Bronis{\l}aw Baczko, it distinguishes between the ``moderate'' and ``radical'' strands of Enlightenment thought and situates both works within this ideological spectrum. Candide critiques metaphysical optimism and religious fanaticism through an ironic narrative, while the ``Eldorado'' episode presents an unattainable and temporary model of an ideal society; ultimately, the work proposes a limited life practice grounded in reason, experience, and labor on an individual scale. This approach reflects Voltaire's moderate Enlightenment stance, characterized by cautious and pragmatic utopianism. In contrast, The Travels of Pythagoras employs the fictional journeys of an ancient sage to articulate a critique of institutional religion, advocate for social equality, and envision an atheist social order. Mar{\'{e}}chal, in line with the radical Enlightenment tradition, advances ambitious goals such as the abolition of private property, the adoption of communal living, and the establishment of absolute equality, framing them within a utopian vision. The comparative evaluation reveals that Voltaire's critical yet reformist perspective and Mar{\'{e}}chal's revolutionary and transformative approach represent the ideological diversity within Enlightenment literature. In this context, the study aims to make visible the internal differentiations of Enlightenment thought through literary texts and to discuss, within a historical framework, the role of utopian narratives as instruments of social and political critique.},
  affiliation = {KAFKAS {\"U}N{\.I}VERS{\.I}TES{\.I}}
}

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Morkoç, Dr. Hasan
TI  - A Comparative Analysis of 'Candide' and 'Pythagoras’s Travels' in the Context of Radical and Moderate Enlightenment Thought
T2  - Hacettepe University Journal of the Faculty of Letters
VL  - 43
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PY  - 2025
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SP  - 379
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PB  - Hacettepe Üniversitesi
SN  - 1301-5737
DO  - 10.32600/huefd.1744077
UR  - https://hacettepe.hbtech.com.tr/en/publication/radikal-ve-ilimli-aydinlanma-dusuncesi-baglaminda-candide-ile-pisagorun-seyahatlerinin-karsilastirmali-incelemesi
AB  - This study offers a comparative analysis of Candide (1759) by Voltaire and The Travels of Pythagoras (1799) by Sylvain Maréchal, focusing on the Enlightenment’s central concepts of “reason,” “religion,” and “utopia.” Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Ruth Levitas, Jonathan Israel, and Bronisław Baczko, it distinguishes between the “moderate” and “radical” strands of Enlightenment thought and situates both works within this ideological spectrum. Candide critiques metaphysical optimism and religious fanaticism through an ironic narrative, while the “Eldorado” episode presents an unattainable and temporary model of an ideal society; ultimately, the work proposes a limited life practice grounded in reason, experience, and labor on an individual scale. This approach reflects Voltaire’s moderate Enlightenment stance, characterized by cautious and pragmatic utopianism. In contrast, The Travels of Pythagoras employs the fictional journeys of an ancient sage to articulate a critique of institutional religion, advocate for social equality, and envision an atheist social order. Maréchal, in line with the radical Enlightenment tradition, advances ambitious goals such as the abolition of private property, the adoption of communal living, and the establishment of absolute equality, framing them within a utopian vision. The comparative evaluation reveals that Voltaire’s critical yet reformist perspective and Maréchal’s revolutionary and transformative approach represent the ideological diversity within Enlightenment literature. In this context, the study aims to make visible the internal differentiations of Enlightenment thought through literary texts and to discuss, within a historical framework, the role of utopian narratives as instruments of social and political critique.
KW  - French Language
KW  - Literature and Culture
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AD  - KAFKAS ÜNİVERSİTESİ
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