The theory of the will formulated by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was neither original nor revolutionary. Before the publication of Schopenhauer’s ideas, dozens of theologians had postulated that a divine force is the ultimate driver of all events in the world. Even Aristotle (384-322 BC) had speculated that all actions in the cosmos are driven by one original force, which he called “the prime mover.” Plato (428-348 BC) and his followers had postulated the existence of a world of forms (pure abstractions) which provide the original blueprints for the world’s events. Despite the large number of prior proponents of the theory of a single cause behind all world’s events, Schopenhauer was the first in history to build a philosophical system around this principle. He presented his philosophy in two major works: “On the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason” (1814) and “The world as will and representation” (1818). I regard these two books as works of genius, rarely equalled in history. In addition to outlining the theory of the will, Schopenhauer explained its positive and negative consequences. He proposed measures to counter the negative consequences and enable his readers to minimize problems in life. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-great-merit-of-schopenhauers-theory-of-the-will/

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