Gabby Alcantara
IB Reflective Statement: Candide
Through the Interactive Oral Presentation of Gottfried Leibniz and his ideas in Candide, I
acquired a greater understanding of the novel. The preparation of the project included an in-
depth research of Gottfried Leibniz’s ideas and philosophies, focusing on his 3 main
philosophies, the Principle of the Best, Principle of Sufficient Reason, and the Best of all
Possible Worlds. After gaining a deep understanding of his main principles, our next task was to
connect Leibniz to Candide and investigate how Voltaire incorporated his ideas and what his
purpose was.
The time and place of Candide took place in played an important role in the novel. It was
necessary to understand the historical context of Candide in order to gain a deeper appreciation
for the novel. Voltaire wrote Candide in 1758, during the enlightenment movement in which
many upcoming philosophers were coming out with new ideas. This greatly affects how and why
Candide was written. For example, it is evident that Gottfried Leibniz’s philosophies and ideas
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