German philosopher Schopenhauer Arthur: biography and works

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

A pessimistic philosopher, an irrationalist who denies most concepts and ideas - this is how Arthur Schopenhauer appeared to the general public. But what made him so? Pushed precisely to this worldview? He always believed that the will is the cornerstone of life, that driving force that breathed life into us and commands the mind. Without the will there would be no knowledge and intellect, the development of man into what he is now. So what prompted him to take this path of reflection?

Childhood

The future philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, whose date of birth falls on February 28, 1788, was born into the family of a merchant and writer. From a young age, his father tried to instill in the boy a love for his work, but did not succeed in this. Arthur received education episodically: for several months in Le Havre, with his father's business partner at the age of 9, then studying at Runge, at an elite school at 11, and by the age of 15 the young man moved to study in the UK. But the travel didn't end there, and in a short period of time he traveled to several other European countries over the course of 2 years.

Family

The relationship between Schopenhauer's parents was complicated. At the endIn the end, his father left the family, and later committed suicide. The mother was such a frivolous and cheerful person that the pessimist Arthur also did not have the patience to live side by side with her, and in 1814 they parted, but continued to maintain friendly relations. This helps the young philosopher to make many interesting and useful contacts among the bohemians of that time.

Adult life

Having a fairly large amount in a bank account and living on interest, Schopenhauer Arthur goes to study at the University of Göttingen as a doctor. But two years later he transferred to the University of Berlin and changed the faculty to philosophy. It cannot be said that he was a diligent student. The lectures did not attract him, and the visit left much to be desired, but those questions that really worried the future philosopher, he studied in all planes, trying to get to the heart of the problem. Such, for example, were Schelling's idea of free will or Locke's theory of secondary qualities. Plato's dialogues and Kant's construction received special attention. In 1813 Schopenhauer Arthur defended his doctoral dissertation on the law of sufficient reason. And after that, he sets to work on his main work.

Philosophical writings

It is worth considering what an unusual person the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer was. Interesting facts were revealed to researchers who analyzed his personal records. As it turned out, professional dissatisfaction, a thirst for fame and weakness infuriated the writer,why from under his pen appeared offensive and often unfair attacks against alleged competitors.

In 1818, the first book, The World as Will and Representation, was published, but it went completely unnoticed by either the general public or the scientific community. The publisher suffered losses, and the philosopher received a wounded pride. In order to rehabilitate himself in his own eyes, the young German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer decides to lecture at the University of Berlin. But since Hegel taught there at the same time, the students ignored the young assistant professor with his gloomy outlook on life. Not wanting to be the object of ridicule or pity, the writer leaves for Italy, away from the bustle of the university. But a year later he returns again to try his luck on the teacher's path again. Even the death of an opponent in 1831 did not make the course more popular, and the young man leaves teaching forever.

Moving. Life from scratch

After leaving Berlin because of the cholera epidemic and moving to Frankfurt am Main, a new bachelor is "born" - Arthur Schopenhauer. Philosophy briefly and rarely, but still flashed in his life. So, he received the award of the Norwegian Scientific Royal Society for his article. His publications were also not popular, and the reprint of the book, now divided into two volumes, again proved to be a failure. Negativism, misanthropy and despair grew more and more in Schopenhauer. He began to hate all philosophers in bulk and each one individually, especially Hegel, who infected with his ideasall over Europe.

Revolution

"And tomorrow there was a war…". No, of course, there was no war, but after the revolution of 1848-1849, the worldview of people, their problems, goals and views have changed a lot. They began to look more soberly and pessimistically at the reality around them. This allowed opportunities to arise that Arthur Schopenhauer did not fail to take advantage of. Philosophy was briefly able to fit in aphoristic expressions and advice that pleased compatriots. The publication of this book brought the philosopher fame and glory, which he so dreamed of.

Late fame

Now Arthur Schopenhauer could be satisfied with his fate. His house was full, whole pilgrimages were made to the places of his residence. Universities gave lectures on his philosophy, and there were also personal students. In 1854, Wagner sent him his famous tetralogy "The Ring of the Nibelungen" with an autograph, this sign of attention was considered especially important by biographers.

After five years, the second edition of "The World as Will and Ethics" is published, and a year later, his articles, essays and aphorisms are republished. But the author has not seen them. Pneumonia caught him suddenly, and on September 21, 1860, Arthur Schopenhauer died. A short biography, published later, managed to convey its veracity in the words of the late philosopher: "The sunset of my life became the dawn of my glory."

Pessimistic philosophy became popular in the second halfnineteenth century. It was at this moment that the will began to mean a lot to the people who survived the fire of the Revolution. According to these postulates, suffering is good, and satisfaction is evil. The philosopher explained this position quite simply: only dissatisfaction allows us to feel our needs and desires more acutely. When the need is satisfied, then suffering does not disappear for some time, but it cannot be removed forever, which means that life is a series of suffering from birth to death. And as a conclusion from all this, Schopenhauer's philosophical idea says that in a world like this, it is better not to be born at all. It had a significant impact on the worldview and perception of historical events of such personalities as Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Albert Einstein and Leo Tolstoy. Each of these people in one way or another influenced the development of society, changed the opinion of their contemporaries about what life should be like. And all this could not have happened if it were not for the rejected and forgotten in his youth Arthur Schopenhauer.