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Analysis of Schopenhauer’s philosophy of happiness
While most nineteenth-century philosophers focused their efforts on epistemology and social ethics, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) stands alone in his concern for individual well- being and happiness. He rejected the trend set by Kant, Fichte and Hegel because he could not see any practical application. Those three thinkers are categorised in philosophy books as “idealistic,” but…
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Schopenhauer on happiness
The life and works of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) are giving us crucial insights on how to achieve happiness. To this end, he devoted years to studying Western and Eastern thinkers and compiling their best recommendations. Then he put them into practice and recorded what works and what doesn’t. Schopenhauer regarded the achievement of happiness as…
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Opposition to Schopenhauer’s theory of knowledge
When Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) began to question mainstream philosophical ideas, he expected heavy opposition and criticism. In this respect, he was not disappointed. Almost all twentieth-century thinkers have opposed Schopenhauer and his theory of the will. Hefty opposition was no surprise to Schopenhauer precisely because he had presented his ideas as improvements on those of…
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Schopenhauer and knowledge
The question of how you know what you know is far from trivial. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy dealing with this question. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) came up with a unique answer that has influenced later thinkers. In his early years, Schopenhauer had declared allegiance to the epistemological doctrines of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). I am…
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Examples of Schopenhauer’s views on the nature of truth
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,…
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Schopenhauer and the nature of truth
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) devoted his whole life to the pursuit of truth. He acknowledged that truth is sometimes unpleasant and harsh, but humans are better off when they face problems and take action to solve them. In his major work “The World as Will and Representation,” (1818), Schopenhauer categorized the will (“life force”) as the…
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Critique of Schopenhauer’s views on the unconscious
The twentieth century brought strong criticism of the views on the unconscious presented by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). I am referring specifically to the works of Carl Rogers, Wilhelm Reich and William James. Their definitions of the unconscious are based on the ideas developed by Schopenhauer, but only after having narrowed them down to a point…
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Impact of Schopenhauer’s views on the unconscious
Few historians acknowledge the large influence of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) on psychology. I’m not just talking about his influence on Sigmund Freud and the concept of the unconscious mind. Schopenhauer’s theory of the will (“life force”) as irrational driver of human psychology had set the background for Freud’s concept of a subconscious. Nowadays, it’s widely…
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Schopenhauer and the unconscious
The philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) on the unconscious has exerted a vast influence on later thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, or Wilhelm Reich. In his work “The world as will and representation” (1818), Schopenhauer outlined his philosophy of the unconscious. It’s based on his theory of the will, which I…
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Schopenhauer and Kant, a comparison
Despite their closeness in time, there are huge differences in intent and content between the ideas of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and those of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). Kant aimed at reconciling empiricism and rationalism, but with little success. The only result of his efforts is to decouple philosophy and science from ethics, leaving the area of…
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