Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) did not believe that real-life problems can be solved through psychological tricks. The purpose of philosophy is to understand the world, so that one can take real action to solve real problems.

Although Schopenhauer made contributions to psychology, his focus was on philosophy. He never lost sight of his primary goal, namely, to identify the principles driving the cosmos in general, and human nature in particular.

In his book “The world as will and representation” (1918), Schopenhauer argued that living entities are driven by a blind, irrational force that he called “the will.”

The theory of the will (“life force”) predicates that humans are driven to ensure survival, reproduction and seek short-term pleasure without thinking of the cost or the consequences. The will can be counteracted through prudence, foresight, and risk reduction, but those measures require steady dedication.

Schopenhauer on the psychology of motivation

According to Schopenhauer, human motivation is fuelled by the ceaseless pressure exerted by the will. People are prompted to seek pleasure, admiration, and wealth to an extent that can hardly be fulfilled. The typical outcome will be frustration and emotional suffering.

Suffering can be prevented or minimized through wisdom, argued Schopenhauer. If take adequate measures, you can get rid of most suffering, disappointments, stress or anxiety. At the same time, you can considerably increase your happiness.

In his essays collection “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851), Schopenhauer proposed sound measures to counteract the will, facilitate personal growth, and increase one’s effectiveness.

Schopenhauer proposed measures such as keeping margins of safety, risk reduction, prudence, foresight, frugality, artistic contemplation, and self-reliance. His recommendations are, to a great extent, based on his knowledge of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity.

I must underline that Schopenhauer regarded reason as the essential tool for self-improvement. Reason is the precondition for self-awareness and for counteracting the negative influence of the will.

Schopenhauer compared to La Mettrie on psychology

Schopenhauer was radically opposed to psychologists that regard humans machines, as pure matter devoid of intellectual independence, devoid of soul and spirit. In this respect, he was opposing the nefarious materialistic views of Julien Offray de La Mettrie (1709-1751).

In contrast to Schopenhauer’s complex view of humans, La Mettrie embraced a mechanistic, materialistic definition. In his book “Man as a machine” (1747), he argued that humans are just machines governed by physical laws and that all mental or emotional processes are just mechanical reactions.

Schopenhauer acknowledged the influence of the will (“life force”) on human behaviour, but he steered away from a purely mechanistic view of thought and emotions. Actually, the whole point of his work is to help people strengthen their humanity.

La Mettrie couldn’t make any difference between rational or effective behaviour, and irrational or ineffective. He viewed all emotions as quasi-automatic and all actions as mechanical. His theory can barely differentiate between humans and hominids.

Schopenhauer against mechanistic psychology

In contrast, Schopenhauer had a nuanced understanding of emotional phenomena and dysfunctional behaviour. His theory of the will reveals the life force as a major factor in motivation and desire, but not the only factor.

The fact that humans can be self-aware and think was never acknowledged by La Mettrie. Schopenhauer observed the blind irrational aspects in human psychology, but attributed them to lack of self-discipline and philosophical clarity.

Schopenhauer compared to Pavlov on psychology

Unfortunately, La Mettrie exerted enormous influence upon later psychologists such as Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936); by means of animal experiments, Pavlov tried to transform psychology into a science of mechanistic, measurable phenomena.

Pavlov conducted research with dogs to demonstrate that a repetition of stimuli can help shape behaviour. His mechanistic approach leads to regarding the human intellect and emotions as malleable, for better of for worse.

Schopenhauer’s philosophy belies the deterministic views of La Mettrie and Pavlov. Schopenhauer’s theory the will regards instincts (“life force”) as important, but not as all-powerful. He devised strategies for escaping the spell of instincts, increasing self-reliance, and moving to a higher ground.

While La Mettrie and Pavlov failed to look beyond external patterns of behaviour, Schopenhauer looked into subconscious factors. In the absence of a logical, well-integrated philosophy, experiments become meaningless; those who want to grasp the workings of the mind are well advised to study Schopenhauer.

If you are interested in applying rational principles here and now, I recommend you my book “Undisrupted: How highly effective people deal with disruptions.”

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