Schopenhauer - A Very Short Introduction

This book aims to give a sympathetic but critical account of Schopenhauer's philosophy. He constructed a system which embraces metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, aesthetics, ethics, and the meaning of life. But as a complete system his philosophy has had few adherents, and he never founded a school of thought. His influence on the history of thought was rather that of provoking and inspiring generations of artists and thinkers from Wagner through to Wittgenstein. Some of his ideas prefigure those of Freud, and his most important philosophical impact was on Nietzsche, who at first found his pessimist conclusions attractive and later regarded them as repulsive, but was always in close dialogue with his 'great teacher'. Schopenhauer was a true atheist, who fundamentally questioned the value of human existence. Existence for Schopenhauer is a purposeless, painful striving, driven by an unconscious force that we cannot control. Release from this existence comes from losing one's individuality in aesthetic experience, in compassion for the world, and in self-denial. While examining all the main aspects of Schopenhauer's philosophical system, this book hopes to bring out the challenging nature of the questions he asks about human existence. Contents Preface viii Abbreviations and works cited ix List of illustrations x Schopenhauer's life and works 1 Within and beyond appearance 14 The world as will and representation 28 Will, body, and the self 42 Character, sex, and the unconscious 55 Art and ideas 70 Ethics: seeing the world aright 88 Existence and pessimism 103 Schopenhaner's influence 119 Further reading 129 Index 133