Like most great philosophers, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) considered education as a lifetime activity. Schooling is only the first step, however necessary, and should build at the same time the student’s character, knowledge, and skills.
Schopenhauer was very precise in defining the purpose of moral education; the principal purpose is to help students build their self-awareness and self-discipline.
Self-awareness enables individuals to perceive the influence of the will (“life force”), identify the risks and assess the costs. Self-discipline allows them to implement the countermeasures to minimize the influence of the will and increase happiness.
Schopenhauer and self-awareness in education
In his book “The world as will and representation,” (1818), Schopenhauer spoke in favour of developing self-awareness as a prerequisite for other virtues. In order to acquire the virtue of prudence, you must grow aware of the dangers of imprudence.
According to Schopenhauer, education should teach people to make good decisions, that is, decisions that avert, minimize, or remedy suffering, or that help increase one’s happiness.
In his book “Two fundamental problems in ethics” (1843), Schopenhauer stated that the purpose of ethics is to steer away from suffering, and cultivate tranquillity and inner peace.
When it comes to education, the same goals should apply. It does not make sense, argued Schopenhauer, to give priority to rote learning and conformity.
Schopenhauer and memorization in education
Memorization cannot help you develop self-awareness and self-reliance. The ability to think critically is a prerequisite for averting the negative influence of the will; thus, it’s crucial that students learn to think independently.
Schopenhauer did not prescribe a precise school curriculum, but gave guidelines about how to educate oneself. He regarded education as a lifetime process, not as predetermined path. The more we learn, he remarked, the more we discover how much we still do not know.
Self-awareness grows when students (or readers) open their field of vision as a result of their learning. People become self-aware when they start to look critically at themselves and their own actions. The wider your field of vision, the deeper your awareness.
Schopenhauer and the value of reading
Solitude is another prerequisite for becoming self-aware. I am talking about the regular solitude periods (a few hours each day) that are necessary for reading complex texts and grasping their content.
Schopenhauer considered the study of a limited number of well-selected books more beneficial than wide, indiscriminate reading of hundreds of volumes.
The size of your library does not determine the size of your wisdom because reading becomes useful (“wisdom”) only after having integrated the ideas and data into coherent principles.
Schopenhauer pointed out that a small, well-selected library can provide you vast knowledge and wisdom if you study the books carefully, think about what you’ve read and put the ideas together in your head.
In “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851), Schopenhauer noted that the greatest advantage of books is that they enable readers to acquire knowledge that the authors have taken a lifetime to gather. Books enable us to perceive phenomena that we would have overlooked otherwise.
Schopenhauer and the acquisition of wisdom
Schopenhauer regarded education as a lifetime process, but recognized the large benefits of reading as much as possible in one’s youth. His argument is purely mathematical. The wisdom accumulated early in life can be employed for decades.
According to Schopenhauer, books should play the central role in education. Knowledge and wisdom can be also acquired through lectures, observation and personal experience, but at a much lower speed.
In contrast to lectures, observation and personal experience, books can present complex arrays of data and long arguments. They can open your eyes in unique ways and render you self-aware quickly and inexpensively.
Schopenhauer described a world without books as a place of darkness in which “God is silent, and justice dormant.” He did his best to spread amongst the public his love of books, but his efforts proved to no avail.
Schopenhauer and public lectures
In the years 1830 to 1860, Schopenhauer attained the status of a minor celebrity in German-speaking territories. He gave a large number of public lectures in Berlin and Frankfurt but was disappointed with the experience.
People regarded Schopenhauer’s lectures as entertainment. I can imagine Schopenhauer’s frustration when confronted with the fact that the audience had little interest in his philosophy.
Attending a lecture by Schopenhauer was a prestigious way to spend an evening. The attendees could then tell their friends about the weird philosopher who had presented abstruse ideas that nobody could understand.
As a result, Schopenhauer grew increasingly unsocial in his last decade. He kept reading, playing music and writing essays, but attended few social events.
His faith in the educational value of his public speaking had dramatically decreased, but continued to view books as the key element in education. They are inexpensive, readily available, and they will allow you to progress quickly.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas to addressing problems here and now, I recommend you my book “Thriving in difficult times.”
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