pessimism and optimism.
The metaphysical theories that this world is, respectively, the worst and the best of all that are possible. Taken in this literal, cosmic sense—worstism and bestism—the theories are of relatively recent date, at least in Western thought, optimism going back to the eighteenth, pessimism to the nineteenth century. The history of the terms themselves reflect the recent growth of the theories. ‘Optimisme’ came into currency in France towards the middle of the eighteenth century, with the English word ‘optimism’ following somewhat later in the century. From the outset, the term was used to describe ... ...
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