In terms of chronology, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) preceded Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) by two generations. The worlds they inhabited were different, but Freud’s psychological insights rest upon the philosophy developed by Schopenhauer.
Schopenhauer outlined his philosophy in “The world as will and representation,” a book published in 1818. The theory of the will (“life force”) constitutes the backbone of his ideas.
According to this theory, the will drives living creatures to ensure their survival and reproduction, and to seek short-term pleasure.
Schopenhauer describes the will as blind, eternal, feral and indefatigable. If you are not alert, the will is going to control your life and prompt you to behave irrationally. Self-awareness is crucial to perceive and counteract the influence of the will.
The key similarity between Schopenhauer and Freud
Freud outlined his psychoanalytic theories in books such as “The interpretation of dreams” (1899) and “Psychopathology of everyday life” (1901).
He sustained that mental disturbance can often be traced to conflicts between social demands, rationality, and instincts. His definition of instincts resembles Schopenhauer’s description of the will, as a strong and relentless life force.
Despite the similarity between Schopenhauer’s theory of the will and Freud’s theory of instincts, there are major differences between their views of the world.
First difference between Schopenhauer and Freud
The first difference is the purpose of their work. Freud was a psychiatrist and Schopenhauer a philosopher. Freud aimed at curing mental disturbance, and Schopenhauer at understanding the world and finding a path to happiness.
Difference in purpose means difference in scope, viewpoint, and interpretation.
Schopenhauer’s first book “About the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason” (1808) established as a goal for his philosophy to grasp the underlying force driving the world.
Freud’s book “Psychopathology of everyday life” (1901) is an introduction of the role played by subconscious instincts in human action, and established the goal of his later research.
As a philosopher, Schopenhauer conceived the theory of the will (“life force”) as a general explanation of human action. In contrast, Freud conceived the theory of the unconscious as a means for helping his psychiatric patients.
Philosophical and psychiatric principles can be extrapolated into other areas, but the farther you depart from their original purpose, the higher the chances of mistaken interpretations.
Second difference between Schopenhauer and Freud
The second difference between Schopenhauer and Freud is their view of human motivation.
For Schopenhauer, all living creatures are driven by the will (“life force”), but the influence of the will can have disastrous consequences.
The will aims at ensuring survival, reproduction, and short-term pleasure. It drives human motivation, but does not assess costs and risks. The purpose of philosophy, said Schopenhauer, is to become aware of the will and withstand its pressure.
For Freud, human motivation is driven by social constraints, conscious and unconscious desires; those three components are often conflicting with each other. The purpose of psychology, according to Freud, is to grasp and settle those conflicts.
Different views on motivation lead to different explanations of human behaviour.
Schopenhauer acknowledged the will and its dire influence on human motivation, but came up with solid solutions based on reason for avoiding errors and increasing happiness.
Freud took for granted that the three human mind elements (the unconscious, the conscious, and social norms) are always in conflict, leading to distortions in motivation; he regarded his job as psychiatrist to remove those distortions.
In his book “The Ego and the Id” (1923), Freud explains his three-part structure of the human mind, and how motivation is distorted when imbalances arise in the structure.
Severe mental disturbance arises due to severe structural imbalances. Healthy human motivation requires a fair balance between the unconscious, the unconscious, and social norms.
Third difference between Schopenhauer and Freud
A third difference between Schopenhauer and Freud is how the view suffering.
In his work “The world as will and representation” (1818), Schopenhauer declares that suffering is inescapable to a certain extent, but individuals possess the capacity to reduce suffering by becoming aware of the will and counteracting its influence.
Schopenhauer’s essays collection published as “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851) illustrates the measures that individuals can adopt to reduce suffering and increase happiness, measures such as prudence, foresight, keeping good safety margins, risk reduction, and artistic contemplation.
In contrast, Freud attributed suffering to conflicts amongst the three elements of the mind, in particular, conflicts between the unconscious with the conscious and social norms. Traumas, stress and anxiety can generate intense suffering.
While Schopenhauer provided detailed recipes to minimize suffering, Freud remained mostly theoretical; he had little hope that individuals could regain mental health without help from a therapist.
Despite a vast literary production, Freud failed to give clear solutions to issues confronting individuals and society. Those seeking to understand human motivation and happiness should study Schopenhauer’s insights. I view Freud’s works as suitable complements for readers already familiar with Schopenhauer.
If you are interested in applying rational philosophy to day-to-day life and to problem solving, I recommend you my book “The 10 principles of rational living.”