[Footnote: Fenelon's Refutation of Malebranche's Traite de la nature et de la grace was not published till 1820.

This work of Malebranche also provoked a controversy with Arnauld, who urged similar arguments.] Malebranche's doctrine of what he calls divine Providence was closely connected with his philosophical optimism.

It enabled him to maintain the perfection of the universe.

Admitting the obvious truth that the world exhibits many imperfections, and allowing that the Creator could have produced a better result if he had employed other means, Malebranche argued that, in judging the world, we must take into account not only the result but the methods by which it has been produced.

It is the best world, he asserts, that could be framed by general and simple methods; and general and simple methods are the most perfect, and alone worthy of the Creator.