Arthur Schopenhauer's predecessors argued about the meaning of human existence, asking the question: "For what purpose do we live?" Some argued that the purpose of human life is faith in God, others spoke about the development of nature, others convinced their contemporaries that the meaning of life is the need to find peace, and some even dared to say that the purpose of life is its eternal search.
Illusion of Life Purpose
What is the unusual philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer? The fact is that he was the first to declare the meaningless existence of man. We live our lives in turmoil, eternal chaos, in petty problems and die before we even look back and see what has been done in life. What we call the purpose of life is just the satisfaction of our own small desires, the achievement of which increases self-esteem and makes us more lustful. Happiness, which we talk so much about as the meaning of life, is unattainable. The constant fear of death and thoughts about the short duration of life do not allow us to relax and feelhappiness. Schopenhauer's philosophy suggests that we only create his illusion through religion and belief in a life purpose. Arthur Schopenhauer, whose philosophy was based on the principles of voluntarism, became one of the founders of this trend in Germany. Its essence is that no one controls the world, God, according to religion, does not protect or patronize us. No matter how sad it may sound, but the world is ruled by chaos - not subject to any logical calculations. Even the human mind is not able to subdue chaos. Only will, human will and desire is the force that drives chaos.
"Life is suffering, because our desires are the cause of suffering"
This principle is the basis of Buddhist teachings, because everyone remembers their ascetic life. Schopenhauer's philosophy states: following our desires, we do not get a feeling of happiness. Even reaching their fulfillment, a person does not feel greatness, but only the devastation of the soul. It is much worse if the fulfillment of desire has not been achieved, and thoughts about it bring us suffering. And what, in fact, does our life consist of? From the desire to be close to someone, to find something, to buy the necessary thing…
Suffering at the loss of the person we need, because we want to be with him, to touch him, to look into his eyes.
Schopenhauer's philosophy finds a way out of suffering: the renunciation of desires. Asceticism, preached by Buddhists, claims that by getting rid ofcapacity to desire, we plunge into a state of nirvana. In other words, to a state called "nothing". In nirvana there is nothing, nothing is done, and nothing is desired. But again the question is: "How can a living person stop desiring?" After all, the force that moves humanity makes us get out of bed in the morning, and this is also will, desire. What will remain in the world if a person ceases to desire? What will happen to the world?
Schopenhauer's philosophy suggests training yourself and practicing meditation as a way to renounce desires. Meditation helps only for a while to plunge into the state of the so-called "nirvana". But if you ask a Buddhist monk: "Have you managed to renounce the ability to desire?" It is unlikely that he will sincerely answer this question. After all, the fact that a person does not fulfill his desires does not mean at all that he has ceased to desire …
