What should I read to understand Schopenhauer?
The best books on Arthur Schopenhauer
- The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics. by Arthur Schopenhauer.
- The World as Will and Representation. by Arthur Schopenhauer.
- Essays and Aphorisms. by Arthur Schopenhauer.
- Arthur Schopenhauer: His Life and His Philosophy. by Helen Zimmern.
- The Philosophy of Schopenhauer. by Bryan Magee.
Is Arthur Schopenhauer hard to read?
It is not challenging because Schopenhauer is a bad writer. He is considered a superb writer, with an ability to phrase things simply, clearly, and beautifully. Many people actually read Schopenhauer simply for the pure enjoyment of it. Nor is the book challenging because the translation is a bad one.
Which Schopenhauer book should I start with?
Given that Schopenhauer himself claims that anyone trying to seriously read WWR needs to read The Fourfold Root first, proposing otherwise is probably really stupid. However, I would suggest reading WWR1 first if you have minimal philosophical training.
When should we read according to Schopenhauer?
Any kind of important book should immediately be read twice, partly because one grasps the matter in its entirety the second time, and only really understands the beginning when the end is known; and partly because in reading it the second time one’s temper and mood are different, so that one gets another impression; …
Was Schopenhauer a good writer?
But even though his philosophy is that of pessimism and resignation from life as a solution to this existence full of suffering, reading Schopenhauer is much more enjoyable than you would think. His elegant writing earned him the reputation of one of the greatest German stylists.
Does Schopenhauer believe in God?
In Berkeley’s idealism God holds the world together, enabling us to avoid chaos and experience a shared, orderly reality. But Schopenhauer is an idealist and an atheist.
Who is the darkest philosopher?
The philosopher with one of the darkest views of existence that ever lived, Philipp Mainländer was born in Germany to well-off parents and even worked in banking for a period of time. Although initially inspired by Schopenhauer’s philosophy, he would end up vastly surpassing the former’s pessimism.
Was Schopenhauer a pessimist?
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860) was a German philosopher known for his atheism and pessimism—in fact, he is the most prominent pessimist in the entire western philosophical tradition.
Is Schopenhauer a rationalist?
For Arthur Schopenhauer, a typical 19th-century irrationalist, voluntarism expressed the essence of reality—a blind, purposeless will permeating all existence.
Did Schopenhauer believe free will?
According to Schopenhauer, this is because the inner being or thing-in-itself is called will. This word “will” designates the closest analogy to that which is felt as the inner being and essence of a person. When we feel our freedom, we are feeling our inner essence and being, which is a transcendentally free will.