Differences between Schopenhauer and Indian philosophy

27/02/2025 8 min Episodio 39

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Episode Synopsis

When Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) studied Indian or Hindu philosophy, he didn’t restrict himself to the foundational texts. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer read the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita but those lack the subtle interpretations made by Hindu thinkers across the centuries. Schopenhauer adopted early in his career some Hindu tenets and conveyed them, in his own words, in his book “The world as will and representation” first published in 1818. For instance, Schopenhauer wrote that the pursuit of short- term pleasure leads to disillusionment, because the hunger for additional pleasures cannot be stilled. It’s going to lead to more cravings, desires, and frustration. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/differences-between-schopenhauer-and-indian-philosophy/