Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) devoted his whole life to intellectual pursuits. In particular, he gave extensive thought to their contribution to happiness.

Schopenhauer outlined his philosophy in “The world as will and representation,” a book he published in 1818. The essential insight of the book is that the will (“life force”) is driving all living creatures to secure their own survival and reproduction.

In addition, the will is pushing animals and humans to seek short-term pleasure without paying attention to cost, risks and consequences. The influence of the will on humans is harmful, pernicious and destructive.

Intellectual pursuits are commendable when they help fight the negative influence of the will. I mean intellectual pursuits, studies and debates that render individuals self-aware, prudent, and self-reliant. Those intellectual pursuits vastly contribute to increase happiness.

In contrast, Schopenhauer discouraged intellectual pursuits that generate desires, goals and ambitions impossible to fulfil. Life is hard enough, he argued, to add pointless anxiety, stress, and frustration.

Schopenhauer’s assessment of intellectual pursuits

In his essays collection “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851), Schopenhauer gives many examples of worthy and unworthy intellectual pursuits.

For instance, Schopenhauer held artistic contemplation in high regard (music, in particular), but showed little interest for politics, modern art, and organized religion. He did not regard the latter as worthy intellectual pursuits.

Intellectual pursuits are futile, argued Schopenhauer, if they fail to contribute to alleviating suffering and increasing human happiness. If they don’t render human life better, those pursuits should be considered pointless.

The examples in “Parerga and Paralipomena” warn people against the wrong intellectual pursuits. It is pointless to devote one’s effort to acquire worthless knowledge and skills. Life is too short for engaging in pointless undertakings, and pursuing clearly unworkable goals.

What about intellectual pursuits in the fields of technology, science, and culture? Schopenhauer considered them beneficial and worth pursuing, but one should stay alert and focused. It is important to re-examine one’s objectives regularly, so that they remain aligned with increasing happiness and averting pain.

Schopenhauer and wasteful intellectual pursuits

Schopenhauer pointed out how difficult it is to distinguish between worthy and unworthy intellectual pursuits. His advice is to remain vigilant and steer away from vanity projects; those waste one’s time and energy, and ultimately generate misery.

According to Schopenhauer, the largest obstacle to thinking clearly is the human tendency to rationalise bad decisions. You can detect this problem when someone grows obsessed about a project or field of study, but gives flimsy, vague reasons for his obsession.

I must point out that Schopenhauer never established lists of worthy and unworthy intellectual pursuits. He never displayed a strong interest in going to the theatre and reading novels, but on the other hand, he refrained from saying that those activities are a waste of time.

Intellectual pursuits draw their value from the way they are practised. People who are interested in literature, theatre, films, or paintings cannot be judged uniformly good or bad. In order to rate their intellectual pursuits as worthy or unworthy, we are going to have to assess the type of literature, theatre, paintings, and films that they are consuming.

Schopenhauer and the danger of intellectual pursuits

Intellectual pursuits have a compound effect. They enhance and complement each other, raising the self-awareness of the concerned individual.

Schopenhauer noted that the more one learns, the more one realizes the extent of one’s ignorance. However, this should not prevent us from engaging in worthy intellectual pursuits.

In “The world as will and representation,” Schopenhauer is pointing out that the human mind is naturally designed to look for order in chaos. While the will generates chaos and disorder, humans engage in intellectual pursuits to make sense of life.

Unworthy intellectual pursuits generate frustration, despair, and exhaustion. Schopenhauer categorized them as wasteful. In his own words, bad intellectual pursuits are “a fool’s errand.”

I would place bad philosophy into Schopenhauer’s category of unworthy intellectual pursuits, but not philosophy itself. Let us not magnify errors and equivocations to the extent that they obscure the benefits of rightful intellectual pursuits.

Schopenhauer and the purpose of intellectual pursuits

Schopenhauer described the purpose of intellectual pursuits as “guiding humans into the labyrinth of existence.” They take effort and dedication, but the benefits are immense; one cannot grow self-aware and self-reliant without sustained intellectual effort. There are no shortcuts to study and reflection.

The intellect, noted Schopenhauer, is a double-edged sword because it can lead to clarity or add to the confusion. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties of learning and clear thinking. If you want to improve your life, there is really no alternative.

If you are interested in applying rational ideas here and now for addressing all sorts of problems, let me recommend you my book “The 10 principles of rational living.”

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