Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) never wrote any novels and deeply disliked those written by his mother, Johanna. She had attained notoriety by her romantic novels and reciprocated his son’s literary dislike by calling his essays uninteresting.
However, the novels written by Johanna Schopenhauer were quickly forgotten, while Arthur Schopenhauer’s works attracted growing interest. Eventually, his ideas have influenced authors and shaped their novels.
Schopenhauer’s influence on literature has taken place more in the novels’ atmosphere than in their explicit philosophy. You won’t find in literature a detailed exposition of Schopenhauer’s theory of the will, only its influence in shaping the background and attitudes of the characters.
According to Schopenhauer, the will (“life force”) is driving living entities to secure their survival and reproduction, and to seek pleasure, irrespective of the costs and risks incurred.
In his book “The world as will and representation” (1818), Schopenhauer depicts the dire consequences of falling under the control of the will and focusing only on the short term.
Humans can become self-aware, adopt countermeasures and minimize the influence of the will. Schopenhauer enumerated those countermeasures in “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851). The countermeasures include prudence, foresight, self-reliance and self-discipline, and artistic contemplation.
Schopenhauer’s influence on Fyodor Dostoevsky
Authors familiar with Schopenhauer’s ideas have translated his theory of the will into stories where heroes are driven by passion and ambition. Those literary heroes struggle to adopt the countermeasures proposed by Schopenhauer, improve their lives, and attain happiness.
Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) created fiction heroes that mirror Schopenhauer’s philosophy. That’s particular true in his masterpiece “Crime and Punishment” (1866). Its hero is named Raskolnikov and the novel depicts his fears and hesitation after he has committed a murder.
Would have Schopenhauer considered Raskolnikov a model of ethics? No, absolutely not. I’m fairly sure that Schopenhauer would have disliked “Crime and Punishment” and all works by Dostoevsky because they present heroes controlled by the will.
Dostoevsky’s heroes have their lives ruined by the will, but seldom adopt countermeasures. Their stories match the pattern outlined by Schopenhauer, but Dostoevsky fails to tell readers how to escape those circumstances and build a better future.
Schopenhauer’s influence on Thomas Mann
Also the German author Thomas Mann (1875-1855) created heroes that embody Schopenhauer’s concept of the will. I must point in particular to Mann’s novel “The magic mountain.”
The hero in “The magic mountain” is named Hans Castorp. The novel recounts Castorp’s visit to a Swiss sanatorium, in which patients are trying to recover from tuberculosis. In his dialogues with patients and doctors, Castorp tries to find a path to improve his life.
Castorp wanted to pay only a short visit to the sanatorium to see his cousin Joachim Ziemssen, who is staying there because he is severely ill. Eventually, Castorp extends his visit, deepens himself in philosophical conversations, changes his view of the world, and finds a romantic interest.
Schopenhauer’s influence on Franz Kafka
The most striking fictional example of Schopenhauer’s ideas can be found in the works by Franz Kafka (1883-1924). In the novels “The trial” (1925) and “The Castle” (1926), the hero is trying to fight a suffocating environment that eventually proves overwhelming.
I wonder if Schopenhauer would have recognized his theory of the will in Kafka’s depiction of hostile environments. There is no happy end in “The trial” and “The Castle,” nor in the rest of Kafka’s fiction.
Kafka’s heroes attempt to adopt countermeasures to reduce the influence of the will, but only experience failure, setbacks, and chaos. The strength of Kafka’s depiction of the will lies in its power to control people’s mentality, leading to absurd and unsolvable problems.
In Kafka’s short story “The metamorphosis” (1916), Gregor Samsa, the hero, wakes up one morning and finds that he has transformed into a giant insect. He doesn’t know why and tries to resume his life under his new identity, but it does not work.
The story of Gregor Samsa illustrates the resolve and work needed to counteract the will, that is, to counteract the negative influence of one’s environment.
As a result of his transformation, Gregor Samsa withdraws from friends, family and society. Even if he wants to maintain a sense of normalcy, he is mercilessly marginalized, mistreated and dehumanized.
Schopenhauer’s influence on Gustav Freytag
Although Franz Kafka created the most intense embodiment of Schopenhauer’s ideas, the German Gustav Freytag (1816-1895) is my personal favourite amongst all authors influenced by the theory of the will.
Freytag grew up in a middle-class family, attended Breslau University and Berlin University, and graduated in philosophy and philology. From all nineteenth-century novelists, he gives the most motivating depiction of Schopenhauer’s theory of the will.
I love in particular Freytag’s masterpiece “Debit and credit” (1855). Its original German title is “Soll und Haben.” Freytag recounts the life of Anton Wohlfart, starting with his first job as a clerk.
Wohlfart faces daunting obstacles and opposition, but deals with them courageously. Slowly but surely, he builds his career as a merchant, achieving his dream of upward social mobility.
Freytag’s hero adopts Schopenhauer’s recommendations to counteract the influence of the will. He acquires the virtues of prudence, foresight and self-reliance, rising in society thanks to hard work and perseverance.
I had read Freytag’s “Debit and credit” prior to studying the ideas of Schopenhauer. I have reread it afterwards and can only praise Freytag’s talent in turning philosophical insights into an entertaining, bright story.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas here and now for addressing all sort of situations, I recommend you my book “The philosophy of builders.”
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