In his works, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) pointed out that love relationships often fail because people will initially idealise their beloved, and experience a disappointment when they realise that their expectations do not match reality. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer presented those views in “The world as will and representation” (1818) and in “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851). He warned readers against seeking short-term pleasure without assessing the cost and risks involved. According to Schopenhauer, the whole cosmos is driven by the will (“life force”), which prompts living creatures to secure their survival and reproduction, and seek short-term pleasure. In his warning against delusion, Schopenhauer describes all problems accurately, but fails to provide solutions; he warns us against blind love, but fails to outline workable alternatives. The search for better answers must start with the definition of love. Schopenhauer describes love as “intense attraction” in a rather simplistic way. In doing so, he overlooks five hundred years of literary and psychological exploration. Schopenhauer lacks a nuanced view of love relationships. He could have grasped those nuances by reading the works of Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) or Petrarch, the first poet who explored the complexities of love. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/idealism-in-schopenhauers-views-on-love-and-relationships/

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