Few thinkers in history have developed integrated systems of philosophy. I view Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) as one of those few. The key of Schopenhauer’s philosophy is that all reality is governed by a cosmical force, which he calls “Will.” According to Schopenhauer, Will is blind, irrational, eternal and all-powerful. It’s the prime force that drives all existence in the animal and human world in particular. Schopenhauer claims to have built his philosophy on ideas put forward by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), but he did so only to a limited extent. Kant’s knowledge theory is categorized as idealistic because of its distinction between the tangible world and “things in themselves.” While Kant had written hundreds of pages about “things in themselves,” Schopenhauer simply claimed to have identified the “Will” as the driving force in nature. One of Schopenhauer’s merits is that he had studied Eastern philosophies in depth, in particular Buddhism. Schopenhauer viewed the Buddhist concept of “nirvana” as the perfect recipe against the anxiety and frustration generated by the Will. Like in Buddhism, Schopenhauer believed that self-imposed limitations can help reduce anxiety, stress and disappointments in life. By contenting yourself with less, you can keep distress at bay. By becoming enlightened, you can reduce the influence of the Will in your life. By desiring less and doing less, you could achieve “nirvana” (peace of mind) like in Buddhism. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-philosophy-summary/

Ver todos los episodios