Chapters 6 & 7

While reading chapter six, I found it very ridiculous how, “The University of Coimbra had pronounced that the sight of a few people ceremoniously burned alive before a slow fire was an infallible prescription for preventing earthquakes.” How in the world is burning a person going to stop earthquakes from occurring? Obviously it did not work and towards the end of the chapter, another earthquake occurs.

While reading I detected a false choice fallacy- “The authorities of that country could find no surer means avoiding total ruin than by giving people a magnificent auto-da-fe.” It is saying the government had no other option than to kill these people. This is a complete fallacy and the government didn’t have to kill them, for he killed them and still the problem consisted.

In chapter seven Candide is take care of by an old lady. The strange thing about it is that he doesn’t know her. He keeps asking her, “Who are you?... and what makes you so kind to me?” Yet, she doesn’t reply. If I was Candide, I would start thinking something weird is going on, even more when she says, “Come with me and don’t speak a word.” Candide follows her, not even taking into account she is a stranger and could put in a risk full situation.