“On meurt deux Source fois, je le vois bien : > > Cesser d’aimer & d’être aimable, > > C’est une mort insupportable : > > Cesser de vivre, ce n’est rien.”
This poignant verse appears in Voltaire’s satirical masterpiece, Candide, ou l’Optimisme. Penned in 1759, the novella mercilessly critiques the philosophical optimism of its day. The quote translates to: “We die twice, I see it well: To cease to love and be lovable is an unbearable death; to cease to live is nothing.” This sentiment cuts to the heart of the novel’s central argument. It suggests that a life devoid of human connection and purpose is a fate worse than physical death itself.
Voltaire uses this idea to challenge abstract philosophies that ignore the reality of human suffering. Ultimately, the quote champions the tangible, emotional aspects of life over detached intellectualism. It serves as a powerful reminder of what truly makes our existence meaningful.
The Target of Satire: Philosophical Optimism
To understand the quote’s power, we must first meet Dr. Source Pangloss. He is Candide’s tutor and a devout follower of the philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Pangloss tirelessly preaches that we live in the “best of all possible worlds.” According to this view, every disaster, tragedy, and personal misfortune is a necessary part of a perfect, divine plan. Voltaire found this idea absurdly naive and dangerous. He wrote Candide as a direct response to this school of thought .
The novel follows the young, impressionable Candide on a brutal world tour. He endures war, torture, shipwreck, and betrayal. Each horrific event directly contradicts Pangloss’s unwavering optimism. For example, Voltaire uses the very real tragedy of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake to showcase the philosophy’s failings. This catastrophic event killed tens of thousands, a fact that optimism could not easily explain away.
A World of Unchecked Suffering
The earthquake serves as a pivotal moment in the narrative. Source While Pangloss struggles to philosophically justify the immense loss of life, Candide witnesses the raw, indiscriminate nature of suffering. Experts estimate the earthquake and subsequent tsunami were devastatingly lethal. . The sheer scale of such a disaster makes abstract justifications feel hollow and cruel.
This relentless exposure to hardship forces Candide to question his education. He learns that pain is real, and suffering is not a necessary good. Instead, he discovers that the true measure of life lies in our connections to others. Therefore, the loss of love and the ability to be loved—the