In the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), we find a unique combination of realism and empathy. His books show that Schopenhauer was fully conscious of the advantages of industrial societies. They offer individuals far more chances than agrarian, immobile, medieval structures
At the same time, Schopenhauer was aware that perfection cannot be expected from any justice system. Judges and juries make mistakes, and corruption and incompetence play a role in some cases.
Even with hard work and the best intentions, you may prove extraordinary unlucky, suffer a random accident, and lose your savings and your health. Indeed, justice isn’t guaranteed but we should remain grateful for the opportunities offered by modern society.
Cause and effect in Schopenhauer’s idea of justice
In his first book “Over the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason” (1814), Schopenhauer applies the principle of cause and effect to justify the world as it is.
Normally, cause and effect should lead to justice, enabling individuals to receive what they have earned with their efforts, but from time to time, random factors will disrupt causality.
In those cases, people can rightly feel disadvantaged, but it’s a fact that luck plays a role in life. Schopenhauer recognized it as a fact that some people will inherit a better disposition and a better set of circumstances. That’s life.
In his second book, “The world as will and representation” (1818), Schopenhauer delved into the influence of the will on world affairs. The will (which I translate as “life force”) can be irrational and cruel. It will sometimes thwart good projects and reasonable plans for no good reason.
Schopenhauer’s acknowledgement of injustice
Justice is desirable, argued Schopenhauer, but one should be realistic about how much is achievable. No matter how honest and hard-working you are, you’ll suffer random damages from destiny sometimes.
Take setbacks and mistakes philosophically and move on. It is a waste of time to dwell on them. It’s even worse if you blow them out of proportion, lose your motivation, and give up your attempts to improve your life.
Schopenhauer pointed out that injustices can be minimized and alleviated through empathy. He regarded empathy (which goes hand in hand with compassion) and essential virtues.
In this respect, Schopenhauer had a high opinion of Eastern philosophy (Buddhism, Hinduism) and Christianity because of their favourable views on empathy and compassion.
Realism in Schopenhauer’s idea of justice
If you feel strongly about injustice and unfairness, nothing prevents from devoting your efforts to helping the victims. You might prove unable to remove injustice from the world, but at least, you can help the victims get back on their feet.
Schopenhauer’s ideas on justice are more realistic, workable and satisfactory than the delusions put forward by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716).
According to Leibniz, we live in the “best of all possible worlds” because it is the result of harmonious arrangements of individual entities (which he called “monads”) and substances constituting reality.
I must point out that, when Leibniz talks about “harmonious arrangements,” he means “God-driven” or “God-directed.” His statement that we live in the “best of all possible worlds” does not make sense if you remove Leibniz’ religious justification.
Schopenhauer’s idea of justice compared to Leibniz’
For Leibniz, justice is a fully automatic outcome of cosmic harmony. He believed that, within this harmonious order, every individual receives his due share of happiness. Injustice doesn’t exist. When people talk about injustice, it’s because they fail to grasp the harmony of the cosmic order.
Since there are countless cases of injustice, discrimination, unfairness and abuse, it is obvious that Leibniz’ concept rests on delusion. His idea that all entities contribute to the overall perfection of the universe is not supported by any evidence.
Schopenhauer was able to recognize opportunities and good aspects of our world, but also acknowledged injustice. The best way to minimize injustice is to be realistic.
Balance in Schopenhauer’s idea of justice
Don’t waste time and energy in the pursuit of perfect justice; it’s commendable to cultivate one’s empathy and compassion to help victims; it is courageous to fight injustice when possible, but steer away from becoming a crusader for lost causes.
Leibniz’ expectations of cosmic harmony are delusional. It’s in your interest to steer away from people adhering to foolish ideals. Leibniz was preaching nonsense that only leads to deep disappointments, anxiety and depression.
I would rather endorse Schopenhauer’s fair balance between expectations and reality. Indeed, we should demand justice and fight injustice, but at the same time, we shouldn’t despair when people make mistakes and show human frailties.
If you are interested in applying rational philosophy to your own life, I recommend you my book “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief.”
Related articles
Exaggeration and reality in Schopenhauer’s pessimism
Human flourishing and Schopenhauer’s pessimism
The myth of Schopenhauer’s pessimism