ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER

By Darcy Gomez

THE MAN

Lived from 1788-1860

German

Schopenhauer rejected most of his

predecessors in philosophy

He only recognized two

philosophers• Kant• Plato

He also drew from some

philosophies of the East

THE WORLD AS IDEA

There is the noumenal world outside of the mind

He believed that the mind cannot know the real

reality (noumenal world)

What we see as the world are only our perceptions

Our perceptions are filtered through time, space,

and finally our mind until we see what we perceive

Every perception is just a manifestation of the Will

EXAMPLE

FILTERWill

THE WORLD AS THE WILL

Schopenhauer believed in the Will

The Will is the actual and ultimate reality of the world and

ourselves

It is “the-thing-in-itself”

We cannot know the Will itself but we every individual is a

manifestation of the Will

The Will can be seen in every action of the body and impression on

the body (emotions, ect)• Pain= impressions against the Will• Pleasure= impressions in in agreement with the Will

NATURE OF THE WILL

The Will is violent

Every act (manifestation of the Will) is either an

act of procreation or destruction

The mind is “self-deceiving” of the Will• The real world is destructive and cruel but as we

perceive things in our minds it becomes distorted as good or neutral

EXAMPLES

The Human Body• Once we reach the age of 18 our body

begins to deteriorate• The body is simply a vessel for reproduction• Once we reproduce we continue to die

Luna Moth• The Moth is born to reproduce and digest,

but has no mouth• It lays its eggs then starves to death• Cycle continues

ULTIMATE REALITY

There is no hope in life

Happiness is unattainable

Any arts, morals, or sciences are

only distortions of the will• Seen as good, but are actually the

manifestation of the Will

Suicide may seem like the perfect

escape, but suicide is just a final act

of the Will and thus another

manifestation

ESCAPE FROM THE WILL

There is only one way to counter the Will

The only way is to dedicate yourself to pure formal

music; music without words or emotion

To Schopenhauer this music was a type of Baroque

style that was purely “mathematical”

Through this music you can escape from the world

and escape the Will

NO ESCAPE…

Sadly other Philosophers say that wanting to

dedicate yourself to the music is just another desire

and in turn a manifestation of the Will

Even so, Schopenhauer’s philosophy helped

influence future philosophies