We Still Haven’t Figured This Out Yet

We still haven’t figured out that education is the best investment we can make as a country. As smaller communities and individual families, we realize that education is one of the best choices to make for success. However, American society doesn’t demonstrate that.

Honestly, if America valued education over capitalism and profit growth, college wouldn’t nearly be as expensive as it is now. If more people could afford college, more people would graduate with degrees and such, and be certified for careers and even further specialized studies. I really wouldn’t be surprised if our universities have the highest tuitions in the world.

If America put more value on education and learning, perhaps more people would aim to become teachers and researchers rather than business people and doctors. It’s clearly evident that our country implies that the best way to become successful is either through being a business person or a doctor—and let’s be honest, even the healthcare field is a business itself.

It seems so selfish to believe that success is wealth, and that wealth is what leads to a progressive country. We should contemplate about how we want society to be like generations from now, and how we can contribute to developing it as a better place to live in. Advancement doesn’t come having more capital, it comes from having more knowledge.

How Do I Know What I Know?

Most of the knowledge we get comes from learning and experience. What we learn can be something taught at school or an idea drilled into our heads by society or even our families. This kind of knowledge, the knowledge that is passed on to us, maybe not necessarily be “true” or “right” but it’s still what we know. The knowledge we gain directly comes from experiences we have.

I think the knowledge we get from learning and experience is only half of what we know. The other way we come to know things is through assuming. Again, our assumptions may not be (and most likely won’t be) true, but it’s still a part of what we know.

Assumptions come from both learning and experience, so really, the way we come to know things is through the ideas that we already have. From previous knowledge, every person has their own sense of “logic” to create and reason their assumptions.

Just for an example…

I think it’s safe to say that most Americans haven’t been to the Middle East recently, yet most will assume that it’s not the safest place to be in right now. We haven’t actually been to these countries, but from watching the news, reading articles, and hearing about all of the current conflicts in the region, “logically” it would seem to be an unsafe in environment to be in.

This isn’t something I know to be true, but it’s just something I know…

The Garden State

When I think of a Garden State, I imagine a community that resembles a garden. A good garden wouldn't be something exceptionally big, so the community would be fairly small. Gardens are supposed to be maintained and tended so there wouldn't be any weeds, or in the case of a community, no evils or negative values. And all gardens are taken care of by something, so this community has a government that actuals cares for the people. To me, a Garden State is any community where people get along and live happy, simple lives.

What I got from Candide is that a Garden State is a place where people work constantly for the sole purpose of staying occupied. Because there is no specific end goal and everyone has their own roles, there is no competition, jealously, anger or as the old man put it, "boredom, vice, and need" (pg. 98).

I don't know if I agree that this lifestyle is the right way to live. The fact that everyone just works to fulfill their roles seems repetitive and boring. Maybe because I live today's society, I believe that challenges and goals add to a well rounded and happy life. I think that accomplishing something gives people happiness, and I don't see a problem with competition.

On the other hand, in earlier and more primitive human lifestyles, people hunted and gathered or farmed. They just worked, worked, worked, and worked. The work created roles for everyone in the community, and going by the philosophy of Candide's ending, these people had happy, negative-free lives. I don't know if Voltaire's believes in the Garden State portrayed in the book, but I can't believe it. I think people are too complex to just sit as plants do, repeat the same tasks everyday, and still have happy and fulfilling lives.

Candide's Punishments, Do They Fit the Crime?

I don't think Candide really deserved any of his punishments. Candide is not just a naive person, but he is also kind of stupid for not realizing that Pangloss's logic is completely wrong. Even Cunégonde was able to realize that Pangloss's philosophy was wrong, yet Candide continued to just believe it, regardless of what life literally put in front of him.

Any ways, I can't really blame Candide for doing most of the wrong things that he did. In the beginning, on of his punishments was being forced into the Bulgar army. But he had he done nothing wrong. He only agreed with the two men (unknowingly) that he liked the Bulgar King, and this was  because they provided him with food. Most of the punishments Candide received were from actions he committed without knowing that they were wrong or immoral. For example when he was on the boat during the storm, he didn't rescue the Anabaptist (even though he had every intention to do so) because Pangloss convinced him that the Anabaptists was supposed to drown.

The only punishment that I see fit for him, is when he lost most of his treasures and his sheep from El Dorado to the merchant. He deserved that punishment because he took advantage of the King's generosity by taking a vast amount of valuables. In this situation, he let greed get the best of him. However, all in all, I think Candide is a genuinely good person. His stupidity and Pangloss's influences are what blocks him from truly understand which actions are right and wrong, and I don't believe he will deserve any punishments until he realizes what he's being punished for.