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'The two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom.' Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century because his humanistic, atheistic, if pessimistic views chimed with a new secularism that was emerging from a Western society dominated by religion. Despite his rather forbidding image (and a few outdated views), he is one of the most approachable German philosophers, and this is certainly evident in these two key works, The Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims.

Counsels and Maxims is a classic work by noted German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. His work has influenced some of the modern world's greatest thinkers, including Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, and Erwin Schrödinger. This piece was originally translated by Thomas Bailey Saunders.

Schopenhauer was just 30 when his magnum opus, Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung, a work of considerable learning and innovation of thought, first appeared in 1818.

Much to his chagrin and puzzlement (so convinced was he of its merits), it didn't have an immediate effect on European philosophy, views and culture. It was only decades later that it was recognised as one of the major intellectual landmarks of the 19th century.

Dive into the profound thoughts of Arthur Schopenhauer, a pioneering 19th-century philosopher whose insights into metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics continue to resonate today. His influential ideas also shaped theories of evolution and psychology, notably through his concept of the will to power—a notion that would later be famously expanded by Nietzsche. Despite his brilliance, Schopenhauer often found himself overshadowed by his contemporary Hegel. In this work, he interweaves his social and psychological perspectives, deeply rooted in his metaphysical beliefs and inspired by Eastern ...

In this enlightening exploration, Schopenhauer introduces the concept of will, a term that embodies humanitys deepest impulses—desire, striving, wanting, effort, and urging. His philosophy reveals that all of nature, including human existence, is driven by an unquenchable will to life, which paradoxically leads to our suffering. The relentless pursuit of more is the root of this pain. Schopenhauer also delves into the notion of representation (Vorstellung), referring to the mental images we form of objects perceived as separate from our minds. This includes our own bodies, which he termed ...

Dive into The Art of Controversy (or The Art of Being Right) (Die Kunst, Recht zu Behalten), a thought-provoking treatise penned by German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in 1831. In this insightful work, Schopenhauer unveils thirty-eight strategies designed to give you an edge in arguments, allowing you to triumph in debate—even when you’re not in the right. He advocates for the importance of dialectical reasoning, which he believes has been overlooked in favor of pure logic. Schopenhauer also explores the divide between our conscious intellect and our underlying will. This classic text ...

Comment expliquer le succès tardif mais réel, le retentissement subit de la philosophie de Schopenhauer ? C'est qu'il est possédé de la folie de son temps, cette folie que l'on a si justement appelée la maladie du pessimisme, ou encore la maladie du siècle, der Weltschmerz, la douleur du monde, cette folie qui compte tant de victimes, de Werther à René, de Childe-Harold à Rolla, et d'illustres malades : Byron, Musset, Henri Heine, rieurs attristés, viveurs blasés, sceptiques nuageux, révoltés lyriques qui adorent la vie et la maudissent. Schopenhauer est le théoricien de cette école de poètes.

Arthur Schopenhauer's "The Wisdom of Life" is a compelling exploration into the nature of happiness and fulfillment. Written by a renowned 19th-century philosopher, this work delves into human desires and motivations, offering a unique perspective on finding meaning in life.

In 1837, the Danish Royal Society of Sciences offered a prize to any essayist who could satisfactorily answer the question, "Is the fountain and basis of Morals to be sought for in an idea of morality which lies directly in the consciousness (or conscience), and in the analysis of the other leading ethical conceptions which arise from it? Or is it to be found in some other source of knowledge?" The Basis of Morality is the essay submitted in 1840 by German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. In it, he first mercilessly deconstructs the prevailing Western theory of morality as championed by ...

The essays in The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics have a rather special place in Schopenhauer’s work, both being written as entries to Scandinavian philosophy competitions, one in Norway and one in Sweden.

The original edition of The World as Will and Idea appeared in 1818, but in 1844 Schopenhauer published an expanded version. It contained the 'Criticism of the Kantian Philosophy', a lengthy document; and Supplements to the First Book ( The Doctrine of the Idea of Perception) and the Second Book ( The Doctrine of Perception or Knowledge of the Understanding).

In this profound work, Schopenhauer explores the core notion that beneath our perceived reality lies an insatiable Will, eternally striving for satisfaction. Each human Subject interprets the Objects around them through the lens of this driving force, yet the complexities of life and individual differences often obscure our understanding of it. To truly grasp the essence of the Thing-In-Itself, we must look beyond the ‘principium individuationis’—a concept trapped within the cause-and-effect constraints of the Principle of Sufficient Reason. Art serves as a transformative medium, ...

In this profound exploration, Schopenhauer delves into his central thesis that beneath the reality we perceive lies an insatiable Will, eternally striving for satisfaction. Each human observer interacts with the world through this intrinsic Will, often blinded by the distractions of life and the superficial differences that obscure its essence. To truly grasp the underlying reality—the Thing-In-Itself—one must look beyond the principium individuationis, which is caught in the relentless cycle of cause and effect defined by the Principle of Sufficient Reason. Art serves as a powerful medium...

Suddenly confronted with his own mortality after a routine checkup, eminent psychotherapist Julius Hertzfeld is forced to reexamine his life and work - and seeks out Philip Slate, a sex addict whom he failed to help some 20 years earlier. Yet Philip claims to be cured - miraculously transformed by the pessimistic teachings of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer - and is himself a philosophical counselor in training.

"The Art of Controversy or The Art of Being Right" is an acidulous, sarcastic treatise written by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. In it, Schopenhauer examines a total of thirty-eight methods of showing up one's opponent in a debate. He introduces his essay with the idea that philosophers have concentrated in ample measure on the rules of logic, but have not engaged with the darker art of the dialectic, of controversy.

The best summary of this book is ‘being right doesn’t mean you’re gonna win, and this is why’. It’s the ultimate guide to spotting the many different kinds of bullshit people pull in order to win over the crowd, rather than argue the point at hand. There’s very few of them that don’t immediately bring examples to mind, and having it laid out clearly like this is the perfect armour to stop people derailing you.

The World as Will and Idea by Arthur Schopenhauer presents his philosophy that reality is driven by a metaphysical will, influencing all aspects of life and existence. Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, is known for his pessimistic philosophy, emphasizing that desire causes suffering. This work has profoundly influenced both philosophical thought and literature.

There is a cause, or a reason, behind everything that happens. This is the fundamental view behind the classical proposition the Principle of Sufficient Reason, which, in 1813, Schopenhauer chose as his subject for further examination in his doctoral dissertation On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason....

First proposed more than 200 years ago, Schopenhauer's extraordinarily prescient metaphysics - if understood along the lines thoroughly elucidated and substantiated in this volume - offer powerful answers not only to the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, but also to modern philosophical dilemmas such as the hard problem of consciousness - which plagues mainstream physicalism - and the subject combination problem - which plagues constitutive panpsychism

In this final part to Schopenhauer's momentous and hugely influential work, his original and wide-ranging observations are as lively as ever. Though cast as a 'pessimist' by history, he is anything but that to read - and listen to. Here are the last supplementary comments his original work (published 1818), the fruit of decades of further reflection.