Can I provide historical examples of Schopenhauer’s views on the nature of truth? Certainly. The examples are not perfect, but drive the point home. They show that Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) gave us valuable insights on human behaviour.
Before presenting the examples after Schopenhauer’s time, I want to mention Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), a French philosopher, as a worthy predecessor of Schopenhauer.
Like Schopenhauer, Montaigne remained outside academic circles, but wrote essays on the nature of truth. Montaigne did not offer answers as sophisticated as Schopenhauer, but spent years doing research on the reliability of human judgement and the certainty of knowledge.
Schopenhauer compared with Michel de Montaigne
Like Schopenhauer, Montaigne underlined the fallibility of human reason, especially when influenced by strong external factors. However, Montaigne was willing to accept a higher level of subjectivism than Schopenhauer.
While Schopenhauer employed his theory of the will to seek the nature of truth, Montaigne regarded truth as contingent on the cultural context and individual circumstances.
The practice of introspection is a key commonality between Montaigne and Schopenhauer. Both men employed their own experience to address philosophical questions, comparing their answers with those given by other philosophers.
Like Schopenhauer, Montaigne had rejected the dogmatism of mainstream philosophy and engaged in deep self-reflection. Montaigne had drawn lessons from Ancient Greece and Rome, just as Schopenhauer had gained important insights from Hindi and Buddhist traditions.
After Schopenhauer’s death in 1860, his work spread slowly across Europe. Writers sometimes picked up his ideas without really knowing their source and without giving Schopenhauer any credit. Nonetheless, literary examples are worth studying because they illustrate the dominant ideas at that time.
Schopenhauer compared with Marcel Proust
The French novelist Marcel Proust (1871-1922) spent years writing his monumental work “In Search of Lost Time,” where he looks for truth in memories and subjective impressions.
Proust employed a narrative technique where memories are triggered by sensory experiences; when the protagonist touches an object or perceives a certain colour or taste, he is driven into remembering particular decisions and actions.
“In Search of Lost Time” is reminiscent of Schopenhauer’s theory of the will (“life force”) because it recognizes powerful external influences into human perception.
While Schopenhauer had given predominant weight to the will (the drive to self-preservation and reproduction), Proust is open to admit a vast array of external influence; his protagonist is driven nonetheless, but only randomly and sporadically.
How the will obfuscates reason
“In Search of Lost Time” shows that true understanding of the world takes place through self-discovery driven by outside influences. Like individuals confronted with the irrational will defined by Schopenhauer, Proust depicts a hero driven by outer factors.
In his book “The world as will and representation” (1818), Schopenhauer had outlined how the will obfuscates reason and leads people to make dire mistakes. Similarly, Proust showed how truth can be obscured by societal expectations.
Schopenhauer had pointed out how difficult it is to perceive reality accurately and make good decisions. His work “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851) supplies advice on how to minimize errors caused by the influence of the will.
Similarly, Proust calls readers to engage in an introspective journey. He encourages them to explore their memories and ponder their desires and emotions. Although Proust doesn’t go into philosophical arguments, his works mirror Schopenhauer’s views on the nature of reality.
Schopenhauer compared with Ralph Waldo Emerson
Another fellow traveller was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). In his essay “Nature,” he considered nature a source of spiritual insights and a pathway to the divine. Emerson called readers to seek truth by connecting with the natural world.
Schopenhauer had postulated that the will (“life force”) is to blame for many dire mistakes because it pushes people to take action to achieve short-term satisfaction without thinking about the costs.
Similarly, Emerson considered that an over-soul (“universal spirit”) is connecting and driving all living entities. He advised readers to align themselves with the collective consciousness. I consider the over-soul similar to the theory of the will.
Just as Schopenhauer had recommended self-discipline, the books by Emerson advise self-reliance. He told readers to trust their intuition as a source of truth, even if it contradicts societal norms and traditions.
In his essay “Self-Reliance,” Emerson underlines the value of non-conformity to pursue truth. His recommendations aren’t far from Schopenhauer’s wisdom, especially in the last decades of his life.
Further examples can be found in the works of Max Stirner (1806-1856), a German philosopher. I’m referring in particular to “The ego and its own,” a book where Steiner speaks highly of individualism.
If you are interested in the practical application of rational ideas here and now, I recommend you my book “Against all odds: How to achieve great victories in desperate times.”
Related articles
Impact of Schopenhauer’s views on the unconscious
Critique of Schopenhauer’s views on the unconscious
Schopenhauer and the nature of truth