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Essays of Schopenhauer
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178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1882
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About the author
Arthur Schopenhauer
2,045 books6,001 followersArthur Schopenhauer was born in the city of Danzig (then part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth; present day Gdańsk, Poland) and was a German philosopher best known for his work The World as Will and Representation. Schopenhauer attempted to make his career as an academic by correcting and expanding Immanuel Kant's philosophy concerning the way in which we experience the world.
He was the son of author Johanna Schopenhauer and the older brother of Adele Schopenhauer.
He was the son of author Johanna Schopenhauer and the older brother of Adele Schopenhauer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 18, 2020
If you are up for lively, insightful, sometimes outrageous essays on a variety of philosophical and literary topics, 19th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer will not let you down. There are 7 essays collected in this book and to share a taste of what a reader will find, below are quotes along with my comments on 5 of the 7 essays. The very readable Dircks translation is available on-line: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/scho...
ON AUTHORSHIP AND STYLE
"Obscurity and vagueness of expression are at all times and everywhere a very bad sign. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred they arise from vagueness of thought, which, in its turn, is almost always fundamentally discordant, inconsistent, and therefore wrong. When a right thought springs up in the mind it strives after clearness of expression, and it soon attains it, for clear thought easily finds its appropriate expression." --------- Being myself a musician and trained in nada yoga, that is, the yoga of sound, I recently started reading a short book on listening by a French philosopher and aesthetician in the postmodern tradition. The language was so convoluted and chock-full of double negatives, qualifications, obscure language and multiple references, I almost felt like shouting, ‘My good man, if you have something insightful to say, kindly say it!’
ON READING AND BOOKS
“One can never read too little of bad, or too much of good books: bad books are intellectual poison, they destroy the mind. In order to read what is good one must make it a condition never to read what is bad; for life is short, and both time and strength are limited.” ---------- I never tire of reminding myself that life is too short for bad taste. I would even take this a step further: if, after giving a book a fair chance, the book still doesn’t speak to me, I put it aside and find another book I can really get into, grow wings and take flight.
“Any kind of important book should immediately be read twice, partly because one grasps the matter in its entirety the second time, and only really understands the beginning when the end is known, and partly because in reading it the second time one’s temper and mood are different, so that one gets another impression; it may be that one sees the matter in another light.” ---------- Schopenhauer’s words are particularly true respecting literature. The novel, story or poem comes alive and is colored by our mood, emotions and feelings. With each rereading, we gain an additional angle or slant, thus expanding our experience and understanding. I recall preparing for a group discussion of John Keats’s ‘Ode to a Grecian Urn’. It must have taken me at least a dozen readings, some silent, some aloud, to gain a basic appreciation of the poem’s rhythm, beauty and depth of meaning.
THE EMPTINESS OF EXISTENCE
“That human life must be a kind of mistake is sufficiently clear from the fact that man is a compound of needs, which are difficult to satisfy; moreover, if they are satisfied, all he is granted is a state of painlessness, in which he can give himself up to boredom.”--------- To gauge the truth of this statement, a question we can ask ourselves: ‘Are we easily bored?’ Our answer speaks not so much to the emptiness of existence in the abstract as to the emptiness in our own individual lives.
ON WOMEN
Schopenhauer’s infamous misogynous essay. “Women are directly adapted to act as the nurses and educators of our early childhood, for the simple reason that they themselves are childish, foolish, and short-sighted — in a word, are big children all their lives.” ---------- Just goes to show, even a great thinker can be very, very wrong, even laughable. As an adult, I’ve had the good fortune to have many excellent teachers in various fields: creative writing, music, theater, dance, yoga, and most of my teachers have been women.
THINKING FOR ONESELF
“The presence of a thought is like the presence of our beloved. We imagine we shall never forget this thought, and that this loved one could never be indifferent to us. But out of sight out of mind! The finest thought runs the risk of being irrevocably forgotten if it is not written down.” ---------- From my own experience, my thoughts have staying power when I translate them into writing; this certainly applies to thoughts and impressions about the books I review.
March 24, 2013
I don't have much to say about this one. I can see how Nietzsche was influenced by the man. Of particular interest was the essay about the emptiness of existence. An illuminating but dry read.
June 29, 2024
Mrs. Rudolph Dircks is the translator of this 1882 translation of some of his essays.
These essays include:
On Authorship and Style - some write for knowledge while some write for money, would that there existed few but excellent books
On Noise-the cracking of whips comes in for especial condemnation
On Education- seems to have a hierarchy of knowledge in mind, with observation at the beginning
On Reading and Books – in reading the work of thinking is for the greater part done for us
The Emptiness of Existence – the fleeting present is the only real existence
On Women - “women... are big children all their lives, something intermediate between the child and the man...”
Thinking for Oneself - “must be kindled like a fire by a draft and sustained by some kind of interest in the subject.”
Short Dialog on Religion – religion is deceptive but useful
Psychological Observations - will and intellect must be in balance
Metaphysics of Love-passion indicates the forces of Nature are at work
Physiognomy – one’s character can be seen in their face
On Suicide – this is not an evil
These essays are interesting even if they are grumpy, and at least one of them, chauvinistic. Being from a rather different kind of person, they often give one pause for thought on the subject at hand.
These essays include:
On Authorship and Style - some write for knowledge while some write for money, would that there existed few but excellent books
On Noise-the cracking of whips comes in for especial condemnation
On Education- seems to have a hierarchy of knowledge in mind, with observation at the beginning
On Reading and Books – in reading the work of thinking is for the greater part done for us
The Emptiness of Existence – the fleeting present is the only real existence
On Women - “women... are big children all their lives, something intermediate between the child and the man...”
Thinking for Oneself - “must be kindled like a fire by a draft and sustained by some kind of interest in the subject.”
Short Dialog on Religion – religion is deceptive but useful
Psychological Observations - will and intellect must be in balance
Metaphysics of Love-passion indicates the forces of Nature are at work
Physiognomy – one’s character can be seen in their face
On Suicide – this is not an evil
These essays are interesting even if they are grumpy, and at least one of them, chauvinistic. Being from a rather different kind of person, they often give one pause for thought on the subject at hand.
May 22, 2024
"Essays of Schopenhauer" is a profound exploration of human existence and the nature of reality. Schopenhauer's pessimistic worldview may seem bleak at first glance, but his insights into the human condition are undeniably thought-provoking. His concept of the will as the driving force behind all human actions offers a compelling framework for understanding our motivations and desires. While his philosophy may not offer easy answers or comfort, it encourages readers to confront the fundamental aspects of existence with honesty and clarity. Schopenhauer's writing style is clear and direct, making his complex ideas accessible to a wide audience. Overall, "Essays of Schopenhauer" is a timeless work that continues to inspire deep reflection and contemplation.
also In "Essays of Schopenhauer," there are both positive and negative aspects to consider.
Positive:
Insightful Analysis: Schopenhauer provides profound insights into human nature, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics, offering readers a deeper understanding of these complex subjects.
Clarity of Expression: Despite the complexity of his ideas, Schopenhauer's writing style is clear and accessible, making his philosophical arguments easier to comprehend.
Provocative Ideas: Schopenhauer's willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and question societal norms encourages readers to think critically about their own beliefs and values.
Negative:
Pessimistic Outlook: Schopenhauer's philosophy is often characterized by its pessimism, emphasizing the inevitability of suffering and the futility of human existence, which may be disheartening for some readers.
Lack of Optimism: While Schopenhauer's insights can be enlightening, his philosophy offers little in the way of hope or optimism for the future, which may leave readers feeling disillusioned.
Heavy Subject Matter: Some readers may find Schopenhauer's philosophical inquiries and existential reflections to be emotionally taxing or overwhelming, especially given their focus on themes of suffering and despair.
Overall, while "Essays of Schopenhauer" offers valuable insights and challenges readers to think deeply about the nature of existence, its pessimistic tone and heavy subject matter may not appeal to everyone.
also In "Essays of Schopenhauer," there are both positive and negative aspects to consider.
Positive:
Insightful Analysis: Schopenhauer provides profound insights into human nature, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics, offering readers a deeper understanding of these complex subjects.
Clarity of Expression: Despite the complexity of his ideas, Schopenhauer's writing style is clear and accessible, making his philosophical arguments easier to comprehend.
Provocative Ideas: Schopenhauer's willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and question societal norms encourages readers to think critically about their own beliefs and values.
Negative:
Pessimistic Outlook: Schopenhauer's philosophy is often characterized by its pessimism, emphasizing the inevitability of suffering and the futility of human existence, which may be disheartening for some readers.
Lack of Optimism: While Schopenhauer's insights can be enlightening, his philosophy offers little in the way of hope or optimism for the future, which may leave readers feeling disillusioned.
Heavy Subject Matter: Some readers may find Schopenhauer's philosophical inquiries and existential reflections to be emotionally taxing or overwhelming, especially given their focus on themes of suffering and despair.
Overall, while "Essays of Schopenhauer" offers valuable insights and challenges readers to think deeply about the nature of existence, its pessimistic tone and heavy subject matter may not appeal to everyone.
January 16, 2024
"On Authorship and Style"
"There are first of all, two kinds of authors: those who write for the subject's sake, and those who write for writing's sake. The first kind have had thoughts or experiences which seem to them worth communicating, while the second kind need money and consequently write for money."
translation: Some art needs to be made. When art needs to be written, the author is writing for the sake of genuine communication. There is no obstruction to the writng. The author makes no attempt to impress the reader, distract the reader, or bewilder the reader in the grand scheme of things. Great writing is true, definite, and clear.
"Consequently, it is soon recognised that they write for the sake of filling up the paper, and this is the case sometimes with the best authors…As soon as this is perceived the book should be thrown away, for time is precious."
"It is only the man who writes absolutely for the sake of the subject that writes anything worth writing. What an inestimable advantage it would be, if, in every branch of literature, there existed only a few but excellent books!"
translation: Read and write the best books.
A great number of bad authors eke out their existence entirely by the foolishness of the public, which only will read what has just been printed. I refer to journalists, who have been appropriately so-called. In other words, it would be 'day labourer.'"
There are three types of writers.
One, the most common, is the type that writes without thinking; it writes from remembering the words and ideas of others.
Two, still common, is the type that writes while thinking; it hashes out unfinished ideas on the page.
Three, the most rare, is the type that thinks before it writes; it writes solely because the material is already thought out.
It is extremely rare for an author to think about the subject itself. Most people write out the thoughts of others. These people are never original because their thinking is roused directly by the themes of others. All great writers of literature are directly inspired by the subject and write after having thought. Schopenhauer includes the caveat that writers of practical works must be influenced by the works of others. The "writers on the method of distilling brandy" are inspired by both subject and by other works.
"It is only the writer who takes the material on which he writes direct out of his own head that is worth reading."
"As soon as a thought has found words it no longer exists in us or is serious in its deepest sense. When it begins to exist for others it ceases to live in us; just as a child frees itself from its mother when it comes into existence"
A truly remarkable artist author who desires to live throughout generations must be the type of person who would have his work stand out within any generation.
"When Eulenspiegel was asked by a man how long he would have to walk before reaching the next place, and gave the apparently absurd answer Walk, his intention was to judge from the man's walking how far he would go in a given time. And so it is when I have read a few pages of an author, I know about how far he can help me."
"nothing is easier than to write so that no one can understand; on the other hand, nothing is more difficult than to express learned ideas so that every one must understand them"
"there is nothing an author should guard against more than the apparent endeavour to show more intellect than he has; because this rouses the suspicion in the reader that he has very little, since a man always affects something, be its nature what it may, that he does not really possess. And this is why it is praise to an author to call him naive, for it signifies that he may show himself as he is."
"We also find that every true thinker endeavours to express his thoughts as purely, clearly, definitely, and concisely as ever possible. That is why simplicity has always been looked upon as a token, not only of truth, but also of genius."
"Style receives its beauty from the thought expressed…Style is merely the silhouette of thought"
your thoughts need to be clear and well-defined; that's the point
"Men should use common words to say uncommon things, but they do the reverse."
"the simpler its expression the deeper is the impression it [Truth] makes"
"Everything that is redundant has a harmful effect. The law of simplicity and aivete applies to all fine art"
"On Noise"
Schopenhauer is basically making a less sophisticated case for the importance of focus. We now understand that human consciousness has about seven points allocated to working memory. This means that any interruption or excess stimuli will diminish the effectiveness of one's work.
ideas are intuitions from observations/perceptions; natural education is creating ideas from first-hand experience; artificial education deprives children of real, usable knowledge
Knowledge needs experience and time to properly mature. To reiterate: learning is real-life.
"On Reading and Books"
Summary: you need to spend time thinking as well as reading. Both are necessary. If you read too much, you are not thinking for yourself. If you want to be a thinker, then you need to think.
"the man who writes for fools always finds a large public"
"The Emptiness of Existence"
"the infiniteness of Time and Space as opposed to the finiteness of the individual in both"
"constantly Becoming without Being"
I disagree with several of the premises that Schopenhauer is presenting here. It's mostly a matter of unsubstantiated claims (as most Philosophy is).
"Thinking for Oneself"
"The largest library in disorder is not so useful as a smaller but orderly one; in the same way the greatest amount of knowledge, if it has not been worked out in one's own mind, is of less value than a much smaller amount that has been fully considered."
"A man can only think over what he knows, therefore he should learn something; but a man only knows what he has pondered."
people to whom thinking is as natural as breathing are very rare
"Men of learning are those who have read the contents of books. Thinkers, geniuses, and those who have enlightened the world and furthered the race of men, are those who have made direct use of the book of the world."
"The man who thinks for himself learns the authorities for his opinions only later on, when they serve merely to strengthen both them and himself"
"Psychological Observations"
humans are the only mendacious creatures: lying, dishonest
"People of great and brilliant capacities think little of admitting or exposing their faults and weaknesses. They regard them as something for which they have paid…This is especially the case when they are errors that are inseparable from their brilliant capacities"
"There are first of all, two kinds of authors: those who write for the subject's sake, and those who write for writing's sake. The first kind have had thoughts or experiences which seem to them worth communicating, while the second kind need money and consequently write for money."
translation: Some art needs to be made. When art needs to be written, the author is writing for the sake of genuine communication. There is no obstruction to the writng. The author makes no attempt to impress the reader, distract the reader, or bewilder the reader in the grand scheme of things. Great writing is true, definite, and clear.
"Consequently, it is soon recognised that they write for the sake of filling up the paper, and this is the case sometimes with the best authors…As soon as this is perceived the book should be thrown away, for time is precious."
"It is only the man who writes absolutely for the sake of the subject that writes anything worth writing. What an inestimable advantage it would be, if, in every branch of literature, there existed only a few but excellent books!"
translation: Read and write the best books.
A great number of bad authors eke out their existence entirely by the foolishness of the public, which only will read what has just been printed. I refer to journalists, who have been appropriately so-called. In other words, it would be 'day labourer.'"
There are three types of writers.
One, the most common, is the type that writes without thinking; it writes from remembering the words and ideas of others.
Two, still common, is the type that writes while thinking; it hashes out unfinished ideas on the page.
Three, the most rare, is the type that thinks before it writes; it writes solely because the material is already thought out.
It is extremely rare for an author to think about the subject itself. Most people write out the thoughts of others. These people are never original because their thinking is roused directly by the themes of others. All great writers of literature are directly inspired by the subject and write after having thought. Schopenhauer includes the caveat that writers of practical works must be influenced by the works of others. The "writers on the method of distilling brandy" are inspired by both subject and by other works.
"It is only the writer who takes the material on which he writes direct out of his own head that is worth reading."
"As soon as a thought has found words it no longer exists in us or is serious in its deepest sense. When it begins to exist for others it ceases to live in us; just as a child frees itself from its mother when it comes into existence"
A truly remarkable artist author who desires to live throughout generations must be the type of person who would have his work stand out within any generation.
"When Eulenspiegel was asked by a man how long he would have to walk before reaching the next place, and gave the apparently absurd answer Walk, his intention was to judge from the man's walking how far he would go in a given time. And so it is when I have read a few pages of an author, I know about how far he can help me."
"nothing is easier than to write so that no one can understand; on the other hand, nothing is more difficult than to express learned ideas so that every one must understand them"
"there is nothing an author should guard against more than the apparent endeavour to show more intellect than he has; because this rouses the suspicion in the reader that he has very little, since a man always affects something, be its nature what it may, that he does not really possess. And this is why it is praise to an author to call him naive, for it signifies that he may show himself as he is."
"We also find that every true thinker endeavours to express his thoughts as purely, clearly, definitely, and concisely as ever possible. That is why simplicity has always been looked upon as a token, not only of truth, but also of genius."
"Style receives its beauty from the thought expressed…Style is merely the silhouette of thought"
your thoughts need to be clear and well-defined; that's the point
"Men should use common words to say uncommon things, but they do the reverse."
"the simpler its expression the deeper is the impression it [Truth] makes"
"Everything that is redundant has a harmful effect. The law of simplicity and aivete applies to all fine art"
"On Noise"
Schopenhauer is basically making a less sophisticated case for the importance of focus. We now understand that human consciousness has about seven points allocated to working memory. This means that any interruption or excess stimuli will diminish the effectiveness of one's work.
ideas are intuitions from observations/perceptions; natural education is creating ideas from first-hand experience; artificial education deprives children of real, usable knowledge
Knowledge needs experience and time to properly mature. To reiterate: learning is real-life.
"On Reading and Books"
Summary: you need to spend time thinking as well as reading. Both are necessary. If you read too much, you are not thinking for yourself. If you want to be a thinker, then you need to think.
"the man who writes for fools always finds a large public"
"The Emptiness of Existence"
"the infiniteness of Time and Space as opposed to the finiteness of the individual in both"
"constantly Becoming without Being"
I disagree with several of the premises that Schopenhauer is presenting here. It's mostly a matter of unsubstantiated claims (as most Philosophy is).
"Thinking for Oneself"
"The largest library in disorder is not so useful as a smaller but orderly one; in the same way the greatest amount of knowledge, if it has not been worked out in one's own mind, is of less value than a much smaller amount that has been fully considered."
"A man can only think over what he knows, therefore he should learn something; but a man only knows what he has pondered."
people to whom thinking is as natural as breathing are very rare
"Men of learning are those who have read the contents of books. Thinkers, geniuses, and those who have enlightened the world and furthered the race of men, are those who have made direct use of the book of the world."
"The man who thinks for himself learns the authorities for his opinions only later on, when they serve merely to strengthen both them and himself"
"Psychological Observations"
humans are the only mendacious creatures: lying, dishonest
"People of great and brilliant capacities think little of admitting or exposing their faults and weaknesses. They regard them as something for which they have paid…This is especially the case when they are errors that are inseparable from their brilliant capacities"
June 25, 2018
Sobering and bleak. Schopenhauer's influence on Nietzsche is clear here, but unlike the latter I can't see myself revisiting this work. Incidentally that's not a criticism, just a testament to how grim the subject matter is. Schopenhauer doesn't leave much in the way of hope or optimism when talking life, death, suicide, and immortality, nevertheless it's still worthwhile, and there are occasional references to the likes of Cicero, Hume and Aristotle.
One part I really loved though was the chapter 'Unzerstörbarkeit', which translates to 'Indestructibility' or 'Immortality' depending on what region you got the book. This chapter is a conversation between two old friends - Thrasymachos & Philalethes - who ponder their existence, or lack thereof, after death. The result is a discussion on paradox, contradiction, immortality (obviously), and transcendence that leads to the original inquisitor bidding the other farewell, having dismissed his philosophies as a waste of his time and grown tired of the bickering.
It's amusing and was difficult not to see the roles played out by Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Hopefully one day we can see that!
One part I really loved though was the chapter 'Unzerstörbarkeit', which translates to 'Indestructibility' or 'Immortality' depending on what region you got the book. This chapter is a conversation between two old friends - Thrasymachos & Philalethes - who ponder their existence, or lack thereof, after death. The result is a discussion on paradox, contradiction, immortality (obviously), and transcendence that leads to the original inquisitor bidding the other farewell, having dismissed his philosophies as a waste of his time and grown tired of the bickering.
It's amusing and was difficult not to see the roles played out by Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Hopefully one day we can see that!
August 11, 2014
In this collection I find a lot of my illusions shattered. Schopenhauer is brutally honest (Ingenuous as his translator puts it) and has no qualms writing exactly what is on his mind. He classifies writers, readers, types of noises, there is also a touch of existentialism in there. When I read such a collection of essays by any author (the last I read was Walden by Henry David Thoreau ), there is always a fear that the writer's work may influence my own belief system crafted with painstaking detail. In this case though, he has asserted every single thing I have felt from the very core of my being. He is therefore not a writer for the masses. This book is for people who can face truth and not stand in its way. Who can let go, be impressionable, innocent, humble, fresh and honest. It is for truth seekers and for hypocrites who would like some drama and shock-value added to their lives.
Want to read
May 14, 2016"The use of many words in order to express little thought is everywhere the infallible sign of mediocrity;"
"True brevity of expression consists in a man only saying what is worth saying"
"for teachers, instead of developing in a boy his faculties of discernment and judgment, and of thinking for himself, merely strive to stuff his head full of other people's thoughts. Subsequently, all the opinions that have sprung from misapplied ideas have to be rectified by a lengthy experience; and it is seldom that they are completely rectified. This is why so few men of learning have such sound common sense as is quite common among the illiterate."
"True brevity of expression consists in a man only saying what is worth saying"
"for teachers, instead of developing in a boy his faculties of discernment and judgment, and of thinking for himself, merely strive to stuff his head full of other people's thoughts. Subsequently, all the opinions that have sprung from misapplied ideas have to be rectified by a lengthy experience; and it is seldom that they are completely rectified. This is why so few men of learning have such sound common sense as is quite common among the illiterate."
July 24, 2012
I like most essays in this book, but "METAPHYSICS OF LOVE" and "ON WOMEN" are far away from what I believe (I'm glad that I was born in 1988 instead of 1788, the year that Schopenhauer was born). "ON SUICIDE" is really impressive, though some people might think it's quite offensive... btw, remember to check out "ON GENIUS" somewhere else, for this one is not included in this book, but it's awesome and gave me an insight into the difference of the so-called genius and the public (it might be offensive to somebody, too).
October 26, 2021
It seemed like good reasoning for great ideas until you read the part where he starts sharing his idea that women are and will always be as developed mentally as children, missoginistic is an understatement
October 14, 2015
For someone who's so right all the time you'd think he'd be a bit less mopey.
April 29, 2023
essays of Schopenhauer. It took me a long time to complete this book. We were really jamming together in the beginning. I noted that he was the person who said action comes before motivation, making him forever my instant friend. In the beginning he was talking about psychological observations and we were really jiving together. In the middle. He wrote a really long essay about to kind of created personas almost angels, arguing over the value of religion. He came out in favor, but he also analyzed it in great detail. Towards the end, he wrote a really long piece about love, where at first he seemed to be extolling the virtues of romantic love, but by the end he had kind of come to a decision that all love is really the power and the desire of the species, tricking the individual. Many times he would use Shakespearean quotes to suggest this belief. Other notes it was interesting how he frequently uses Greek, French, German, and even Spanish passages, only sub times providing a translation. I believe he expects you to speak all these languages to read the ball, and as well as to read Latin, which I gave a go at, but I'm not sure I grasped as much as he would have desired. Overall, again, another ancient philosopher, I hadn't read another challenge you would think, but again in the opening essays, very conversational, friendly, humorous understandable. chip off the old block kapow. So I definitely put them in the you know group of friendly, friendly surprisingly friendly philosophers and put them up there with somebody like Dostoyevsky. Who I thought would be a real challenge to read. But his notes of undergrad was so dull from undergrad was so delightful that he too became an instant friend like Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, all the others. Even though philosophy is harder to read than other books, I do think that it's worth making the effort. It's like talking to a really smart friend about some really old ideas and trying to break them down and grasp a new understanding from our discussions. Good stuff, free eBook on Amazon, sat on my Kindle for a long time. Finally pushed through the last 20 or so percent today. essays of Schopenhauer
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
July 29, 2024
Two just because it was boring lmaoooo - I liked the other writing by him I read - The Art of Always Being Right -but not this one so much and the narrator of the audiobook was kinda wild lmao
Here are some interesting points I noted down while listening:
- We should use common words to say uncommon things
- Truth that is naked is the most beautiful
- To read constantly is paralyzing the mind and now I can’t think for myself 😂 thanks Schopenhauer
- The present is the only thing that is real; everything else is the play of memory, but we can never rest because it’s fleeting - so there's no happiness
- "Befooled by hope, we dance into the arms of death"
I was with him until he started talking about women 😭
- "Every separation gives a foretaste of death"
-" A hope that’s always frustrated yet springs into life again is like death by slow torture"
- The first glass of wine which gives us it’s real taste in the same way that it’s only when we see a face for the first time it makes a full impression - subsequent acquaintance will erase that impression but it will be verified one day in the future
Here are some interesting points I noted down while listening:
- We should use common words to say uncommon things
- Truth that is naked is the most beautiful
- To read constantly is paralyzing the mind and now I can’t think for myself 😂 thanks Schopenhauer
- The present is the only thing that is real; everything else is the play of memory, but we can never rest because it’s fleeting - so there's no happiness
- "Befooled by hope, we dance into the arms of death"
I was with him until he started talking about women 😭
- "Every separation gives a foretaste of death"
-" A hope that’s always frustrated yet springs into life again is like death by slow torture"
- The first glass of wine which gives us it’s real taste in the same way that it’s only when we see a face for the first time it makes a full impression - subsequent acquaintance will erase that impression but it will be verified one day in the future
October 21, 2016
A word that sets my teeth on edge is "provocative". It seems to me to define the speaker rather than what is spoken of. Usually someone who lives in a circumscribed world has encountered an idea. I can't think of anybody other than Schopenhauer who "provokes" me, not something I would have expected of a contemporary of Queen Victoria It's like he keeps gleefully jabbing a stick through the bars of my cage. I particularly recommend his essay "Thinking for Oneself", which warns of the dangers of reading.
November 3, 2019
Pure hot fire, spouting some harsh truths for the benefit of the masses. He's all like, "think for yourself, don't read too much but read my book or don't I don't care." Gotta love that inflammatory writ on whip crackers, or his firm belief in the pseudo science of physiognomy. The best essay, his anti natalist screed against love is well reasoned and still provides hope for even the lowliest incel so long as he/she lowers their standards. Also bashes Hegel and Ficthe every chance he gets.
January 28, 2021
I got a nice, 1942 first edition of this, edited and printed in New York- that I found for a penny at a thrift store here in Buenos Aires. Beautiful edition, very well kept by its former owner. The content is as one would expect, the essays on women are outdated, sometimes even childish in their oversimplifications. With him you can only focus on the conduit "Man". You fixate on that, you're settled for the ride.
December 3, 2022
I can understand why Shopenhauer wasn’t particularly well read in his times. There are a couple of essays that were not to be written nor read, for that matter.
Other essays are marvelous, mostly if we regard them in the light of the time they were written, which is hard by any account.
It escapes the attention of not one lector the fact that the author is TRULY a man of his times. Some of his writings should stay there, some transcend time.
Other essays are marvelous, mostly if we regard them in the light of the time they were written, which is hard by any account.
It escapes the attention of not one lector the fact that the author is TRULY a man of his times. Some of his writings should stay there, some transcend time.
September 25, 2025
There are some very insightful and brilliant essays but some that drag a bit. That being said, the sentiment that for a German philosopher he is very clear and direct, is very true. Many essays here are truly timeless and will stay with me forever. I know I’ll have some wisdom to comeback to when I need it.
August 30, 2020
This was a translated version.I found the book a little difficult in terms of the pace.My biggest takeaway from this book would be based on fame and honour.
April 3, 2022
One of the first books of philosophy I discovered, at the age of 18; Schopenhauer's dour pessimism is paradoxically entertaining and elevating, due to his beautifully logical style.
July 14, 2022
A very interesting read! Philosophy calms my mind.
November 12, 2022
'On Authorship and Style', 'Metaphysics of Love', and 'Physiognomy' have tranformed my perspectives about writing and research, love, and human behaviour, respectively.
January 13, 2023
“On Authorship and Style” should be required reading in every school.
December 3, 2023
Lo leí en un ebook y no recuerdo mucho del libro. No sé si es que no le entendí o mi mala memoria.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
February 23, 2025DNF
This man screams incel energy
This man screams incel energy
May 13, 2025
I first read these essays, rather starry eyed, when I was much younger. I get back and read parts of them now and again, still nodding in heartfelt agreement at much, while sighing deeply at other things. I never bothered with his magnum opus, mistrusting such grandiose system building, and having seen enough flaws in his essays - and character. Yet his essays significantly influenced me, both negatively and positively. To suitably begin on a negative note, i must say the exaggerated pessimism can be sort of toxic to a young mind (depending on personality) who might be taken in by his writing for its many virtues.
But another way way to perceive his pessimism is as being honestly forth coming about the ugliness, dishonesty, suffering of life. This can be a kind of reassuring, consoling balm, if you're suffering. Especially so in a world of phony, oppressive optimism and cowardly dishonesty. Yet it can also entrench an already dark and cynical view of life even more (beware). To say Schopenhauer was a cynical pessimist almost seems like an understatement. He was also undoubtedly misogynous. His writings are by no means heartless however, often for example expressing contempt for animal cruelty and slavery and sympathy for its victims. Schopenhauers pessimism seems to look at and judge a life emptied of much of its "banal" content - if you dispense with work and play and love and so on, or overvalue the negatives of those things. But life is much in merry little details. Another thing that taints his writings is a fair amount of conceit, and even narcissism. However this cuts both ways as it's probably part and parcel of his integrity and self confidence (S. reminds me of Nassim Taleb in this regard).
But despite the many flaws and errors in the man and his writings, he had an impressive intellectual and moral integrity and his earnest philosophical exertions yielded many insights surely valuable even today. There's things, often practical and applicable, to learn from what he writes about writing, books, society, honesty and integrity, ethics, psychology. Even in the infamous essay on women, I found many keen observations that i have not been able to dismiss since.
In the 21 st century, when we're often better informed by modern science rather than 19th century philosophers, I'd like to highlight Schopenhauer as a writer, and partly recommend his essays on that basis alone. His prose is clear and concise and doesn't waste your time with obfuscation á la Hegel and other sophists (his critique of these is pure gold). Moreover it has a pleasant cadence, and is embellished with many poetic metaphors of great originality. Things of melancholy beauty like this one, where Schopenhauer muses over both the waste and the abundance of nature: “What value can a creature have that is not a whit different from millions of its kind? Millions, do I say? nay, an infinitude of creatures which, century after century, in never-ending flow, Nature sends bubbling up from her inexhaustible springs; as generous with them as the smith with the useless sparks that fly around his anvil.”
You may read Schopenhauers essays and disagree with half of it but still enjoy the reading. His life circumstances (above all family wealth) and character helped him cultivate very far reaching detachment from a regular human life and the commoners busy preoccupation with petty worries and ambitions. This detachment is quite palpable and his voice seems to come from beyond life at times; at his best. As if from some arbiter of life, outside of life. He said he devoted himself in his youth not to live life but to observe and think about it. But this detachment and life denial comes at some cost. To philosophise well about life and people, it's helpful to have been dipped into the midst of the heat and mess of it enough, to have had some kind of go at it. Without that even a keen and honest philosopher will surely be prone to the kinds of biases that were Schopenhauers.
But another way way to perceive his pessimism is as being honestly forth coming about the ugliness, dishonesty, suffering of life. This can be a kind of reassuring, consoling balm, if you're suffering. Especially so in a world of phony, oppressive optimism and cowardly dishonesty. Yet it can also entrench an already dark and cynical view of life even more (beware). To say Schopenhauer was a cynical pessimist almost seems like an understatement. He was also undoubtedly misogynous. His writings are by no means heartless however, often for example expressing contempt for animal cruelty and slavery and sympathy for its victims. Schopenhauers pessimism seems to look at and judge a life emptied of much of its "banal" content - if you dispense with work and play and love and so on, or overvalue the negatives of those things. But life is much in merry little details. Another thing that taints his writings is a fair amount of conceit, and even narcissism. However this cuts both ways as it's probably part and parcel of his integrity and self confidence (S. reminds me of Nassim Taleb in this regard).
But despite the many flaws and errors in the man and his writings, he had an impressive intellectual and moral integrity and his earnest philosophical exertions yielded many insights surely valuable even today. There's things, often practical and applicable, to learn from what he writes about writing, books, society, honesty and integrity, ethics, psychology. Even in the infamous essay on women, I found many keen observations that i have not been able to dismiss since.
In the 21 st century, when we're often better informed by modern science rather than 19th century philosophers, I'd like to highlight Schopenhauer as a writer, and partly recommend his essays on that basis alone. His prose is clear and concise and doesn't waste your time with obfuscation á la Hegel and other sophists (his critique of these is pure gold). Moreover it has a pleasant cadence, and is embellished with many poetic metaphors of great originality. Things of melancholy beauty like this one, where Schopenhauer muses over both the waste and the abundance of nature: “What value can a creature have that is not a whit different from millions of its kind? Millions, do I say? nay, an infinitude of creatures which, century after century, in never-ending flow, Nature sends bubbling up from her inexhaustible springs; as generous with them as the smith with the useless sparks that fly around his anvil.”
You may read Schopenhauers essays and disagree with half of it but still enjoy the reading. His life circumstances (above all family wealth) and character helped him cultivate very far reaching detachment from a regular human life and the commoners busy preoccupation with petty worries and ambitions. This detachment is quite palpable and his voice seems to come from beyond life at times; at his best. As if from some arbiter of life, outside of life. He said he devoted himself in his youth not to live life but to observe and think about it. But this detachment and life denial comes at some cost. To philosophise well about life and people, it's helpful to have been dipped into the midst of the heat and mess of it enough, to have had some kind of go at it. Without that even a keen and honest philosopher will surely be prone to the kinds of biases that were Schopenhauers.
April 20, 2019
Schopenhauer mostra uma audácia incomum desde logo com o preâmbulo da obra. O filósofo germânico nomeia uma mão cheia dos pensadores mais venerados do século XVIII e afirma sem rodeios que eles estão errados. O corpo do seu ensaio, “A Metafísica do Amor” (1818), mantém o tom de protesto. O filósofo destrói todas a conceções românticas do amor (é evidente que ele retira um gosto extraordinário em fazê-lo) imagináveis e propõe uma visão proto-Darwiniana desta coisa estranha que rege as nossas vidas e que apelidamos de amor.
Na ótica de Schopenhauer o amor é nada mais que um veículo que enceguece os homens de modo a que eles se reproduzam. Ter filhos é algo fundamentalmente mau. Cuidar da linhagem vindoura (o que alguns carinhosamente apelidam de filhos) inquestionavelmente requer uma quantidade hercúlea de trabalho e dor. Todos sabemos disso. Deste modo, é necessário, segundo o autor, este veneno milagroso que faz com que os homens caiam na armadilha que se chama procriação. O amor não seria então algo que pertence ao individuo, mas sim algo de uma ordem humanal. A vontade da espécie em permanecer na terra (visto que tu perdurarás no corpo dos teus descendentes) sobrepõem-se à vontade do próprio individuo; daí não podermos escolher de forma racional quando e por quem nos apaixonamos.
Não obstante, Schopenhauer discorre acerca dos elementos que canalizam a atração. O filósofo sugere que os opostos se atraem. Que temos uma inclinação para gostar dos defeitos de outrem que complementos as nossas virtudes e vice-versa. Algumas das ideias propostas são inegavelmente misóginas para um leitor contemporâneo, mas ainda assim este pequeno ensaio continua a ser uma obra admirável de um ponto de vista retórico.
Na ótica de Schopenhauer o amor é nada mais que um veículo que enceguece os homens de modo a que eles se reproduzam. Ter filhos é algo fundamentalmente mau. Cuidar da linhagem vindoura (o que alguns carinhosamente apelidam de filhos) inquestionavelmente requer uma quantidade hercúlea de trabalho e dor. Todos sabemos disso. Deste modo, é necessário, segundo o autor, este veneno milagroso que faz com que os homens caiam na armadilha que se chama procriação. O amor não seria então algo que pertence ao individuo, mas sim algo de uma ordem humanal. A vontade da espécie em permanecer na terra (visto que tu perdurarás no corpo dos teus descendentes) sobrepõem-se à vontade do próprio individuo; daí não podermos escolher de forma racional quando e por quem nos apaixonamos.
Não obstante, Schopenhauer discorre acerca dos elementos que canalizam a atração. O filósofo sugere que os opostos se atraem. Que temos uma inclinação para gostar dos defeitos de outrem que complementos as nossas virtudes e vice-versa. Algumas das ideias propostas são inegavelmente misóginas para um leitor contemporâneo, mas ainda assim este pequeno ensaio continua a ser uma obra admirável de um ponto de vista retórico.
December 28, 2015
One problem with free books on Kindle is that any books that include multiple languages do not translate all the languages. With the book in question, Schopenhauer is translated from German to English, but the French and Latin quotes he provides are not. Therefore, unless you're fluent in these languages, you might want to stick with a paid version of his essays. If not for this flaw, I'd give the collection four stars, for Schopenhauer gives fascinating (and sometimes dated) views on a variety of subjects.
This collection contains a preliminary and a biographical note before the essays. Due to weird formatting, however, it may be difficult to make out which each essay is, since all the titles run together. They are: On Authorship and Style, On Noise, On Reading and Books, The Emptiness of Existence, On Women, Thinking for Oneself, Short Dialogue on the Indestructibility of Our True Being By Death, Religion: A Dialogue, Observations, Metaphysics of Love, Physiognomy, On Suicide. "On Women" is highly sexist and based on stereotypical views of women, but the rest challenge the modern reader with their ideas without being offensive (though "Metaphysics of Love" may anger romantics -- which Schopenhauer anticipated in the essay). And hey, he influenced Wagner: http://www.theguardian.com/music/musi...
This collection contains a preliminary and a biographical note before the essays. Due to weird formatting, however, it may be difficult to make out which each essay is, since all the titles run together. They are: On Authorship and Style, On Noise, On Reading and Books, The Emptiness of Existence, On Women, Thinking for Oneself, Short Dialogue on the Indestructibility of Our True Being By Death, Religion: A Dialogue, Observations, Metaphysics of Love, Physiognomy, On Suicide. "On Women" is highly sexist and based on stereotypical views of women, but the rest challenge the modern reader with their ideas without being offensive (though "Metaphysics of Love" may anger romantics -- which Schopenhauer anticipated in the essay). And hey, he influenced Wagner: http://www.theguardian.com/music/musi...
December 28, 2011
Brilliant collection of wide-ranging essays from the plainspoken German master, one of the last great system builders. My favorites included The Emptiness of Existence, Short Dialogue on the Indestructibility of Our True Being by Death and Religion: A Dialogue.
February 28, 2012
Enjoyed it very much. Admirable clarity of prose style and some powerful insights amongst all the hilarious pessimism and misanthropy. Thanks to Cameron for turning me on to him; will read more of his work.
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