In history, few authors have been categorized as pessimistic as Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). Critics reproach him for his observation that most pleasures fail to provide us long-term fulfilment, but is Schopenhauer’s observation inaccurate? When Schopenhauer said that worldly achievements should be regarded as distractions from long-term failure, was he not simply acknowledging the fact that all humans are mortal? Was he not simply formulating an unpleasant truth? Schopenhauer’s reflections on love and relationships rest on his observation that the pursuit of romance will often end up in disappointment. He acknowledged that individuals are driven by the desire to procreate, but tend to pay little attention to long-term factors and complex emotions. I regard this statement as accurate and wonder who can contest it. Thus, the condemnation of Schopenhauer as pessimistic has little to do with reality and very much with exaggeration. I can only point to the fact that people feel superior when they can attack with impunity philosophers they have never read. It takes effort to acquire knowledge of Schopenhauer’s ideas and their nuances, but it takes none to condemn them wholesale as pessimistic. Blanket condemnations are especially appealing to people who don’t read books. For example, the criticism against Schopenhauer’s alleged view of consciousness (intelligence) as a burden does not have any connection to his works. Schopenhauer never said that it is worse to be clever than idiotic. Or that intelligent people suffer more in life than stupid ones. The goal of spreading those inaccuracies is to make people believe that Schopenhauer’s philosophy is worthless and that it is a waste of time to study his works. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/exaggeration-and-reality-in-schopenhauers-pessimism/

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