What do you think?
Rate this book
Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist
An engaging biography of one of the most influential Western philosophers and a thought-provoking exploration of how to live with Arthur Schopenhauer’s pessimism.
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) almost wasn’t one of the greatest philosophers of the nineteenth century. Born in the Free City of Danzig to a family of shipping merchants, he was destined for a life of imports and exports until his father died in a suspected suicide. After much deliberation, the young Schopenhauer invested his inheritance in himself and his philosophical vocation. But the long road to recognition was a difficult one, with Schopenhauer spending all but the last decade of his life in total obscurity. Yet his ideas and style went on to influence great thinkers, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Sigmund Freud, as well as artists such as the composer Richard Wagner and writers Marcel Proust, Thomas Mann, Samuel Beckett, and many more.
A singular and remarkably influential thinker, Schopenhauer is usually described as an extreme pessimist. He questioned the purpose of existence in a world where pain and suffering are inescapable and happiness is all too brief. In this engaging philosophical biography, David Bather Woods reevaluates Schopenhauer’s pessimism in the context of his life experiences, revealing the philosopher’s relentless fascination with the world and making a case for his contemporary relevance. Bather Woods weaves together Schopenhauer’s ideas with the story of how he came to be, including such topics as love, loneliness, morality, politics, gender, sexuality, death, suicide, fame, and madness. In doing so, this book answers some of life’s most challenging questions about how to deal with pain and loss, and how to live with ourselves and each other.
Despite his pessimistic outlook on human existence, Schopenhauer didn’t give up on life. Rather, he recognized that the question of how to live becomes even more pressing, and he worked to provide an answer. Bather Woods shows how Schopenhauer’s life informed his ideas and how they still resonate today.
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) almost wasn’t one of the greatest philosophers of the nineteenth century. Born in the Free City of Danzig to a family of shipping merchants, he was destined for a life of imports and exports until his father died in a suspected suicide. After much deliberation, the young Schopenhauer invested his inheritance in himself and his philosophical vocation. But the long road to recognition was a difficult one, with Schopenhauer spending all but the last decade of his life in total obscurity. Yet his ideas and style went on to influence great thinkers, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Sigmund Freud, as well as artists such as the composer Richard Wagner and writers Marcel Proust, Thomas Mann, Samuel Beckett, and many more.
A singular and remarkably influential thinker, Schopenhauer is usually described as an extreme pessimist. He questioned the purpose of existence in a world where pain and suffering are inescapable and happiness is all too brief. In this engaging philosophical biography, David Bather Woods reevaluates Schopenhauer’s pessimism in the context of his life experiences, revealing the philosopher’s relentless fascination with the world and making a case for his contemporary relevance. Bather Woods weaves together Schopenhauer’s ideas with the story of how he came to be, including such topics as love, loneliness, morality, politics, gender, sexuality, death, suicide, fame, and madness. In doing so, this book answers some of life’s most challenging questions about how to deal with pain and loss, and how to live with ourselves and each other.
Despite his pessimistic outlook on human existence, Schopenhauer didn’t give up on life. Rather, he recognized that the question of how to live becomes even more pressing, and he worked to provide an answer. Bather Woods shows how Schopenhauer’s life informed his ideas and how they still resonate today.
296 pages, Hardcover
Published November 18, 2025
14 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 25, 2025
Philosophers are rarely regarded as desirable house guests or sought-after company. Few find overt erudition, naval-gazing, and ceaseless pontificating on death attractive qualities in someone they would call a companion. Perhaps the quintessential example of such an unpleasant, yet world-class thinker is the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. Branded as “The Great Pessimist,” Schopenhauer’s unsettling, bleak ideas came packaged with a haggard physiognomy and an infamously anti-social temperament. But beyond his bitter reputation lies an immense, enduring legacy of theories, concepts, and universal advice that influenced literary giants such as Leo Tolstoy and Samuel Beckett, the iconic composer Richard Wagner, and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche.
Fighting for attention within a crowded Germanic tradition full of heavyweight thinkers, Schopenhauer has long been overdue for a biography that revisits the complexities of his life, as well as the enduring relevance of his often misunderstood ideas. In just under 300 pages, David Bather Woods delivers precisely that in his latest book, "Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist". In contrast to the pessimist’s cantankerous, nihilistic reputation, Woods presents Schopenhauer in a new light, exploring his compassion, clairvoyance, and surprising sensitivity. Adequately paced and brimming with insightful, lucid explanations, his biography offers a valuable, entertaining introduction for curious readers.
Woods opens with a thoughtful introduction, making light of why Schopenhauer’s epigrams often provoke laughter. In fact, much of the pessimist’s essays are filled with sardonic quotes, such as “Life swings like a pendulum backward and forward between pain and boredom,” that provoke nervous laughter at the audacity and accuracy of the statement. Wood assures readers that despite Schopenhauer’s unsettling comedic comments, we are sure to find a recurring theme of love—in various forms—within his writings.
Arthur Schopenhauer was raised in a wealthy, cultured family led by polyglot, highly educated parents. Following in the mercantile footsteps of his father, Schopenhauer’s direction and perspective were irrevocably altered by his father’s sudden suicide. Woods uses this event as a vantage point for exploring several of the German’s positions regarding suicide, sympathy, and punishment. This tragedy dissolved the burden of his father’s vocational demands, granting Schopenhauer the freedom to pursue academic study. His exceptionally educated mother also took the opportunity to pivot and launch a successful literary career—an early example of the many complex relationships Schopenhauer would have with women throughout his life.
Woods’ biography runs the gamut—from Schopenhauer’s disputed views on homosexuality, to his degrading essay on women, to his wacky proposal for regulating polyamory—astutely exposing the contradictions and contentious positions that permeated his worldview. This includes his reluctant reverence for the precocious sculptor Elisabet Ney, whose skilled bust of Schopenhauer astonished him and prompted a backhanded compliment: “It seems to me more and more unbelievable that you are a woman every day.” It’s hard to believe that the same man who compassionately condemned the slave trade and cruel American prison systems could simultaneously hold misogynistic views toward women, in spite of having an esteemed mother; but much of Schopenhauer’s compassion was grounded in his metaphysics rather than in ethical reasoning.
Schopenhauer unabashedly held contempt for society, making him an unlikable and complicated candidate for sympathy, but it was this innate disposition toward solitude that led to his most universally beneficial principle: a staunch advocacy for thinking for oneself—or Selbstdenken in German. He believed that true knowledge lies not in books or in the passive consumption of others’ ideas, but in personal experience followed by cognitive digestion and contemplation. As Woods explains: “Thinking for yourself produces the best-quality knowledge, Schopenhauer argued, because true wisdom is not simply a matter of possessing all the correct facts.”
Woods’ biography is a delightful read that peels back the layers of the German philosopher’s tangled life, revealing his humanity with each anecdote and intellectual digression. He anchors each chapter with a particular area of focus before effortlessly floating across timelines, momentous relationships, and chance encounters that helped shape Schopenhauer’s influential theories. Condensed to an approachable length, his work serves both to entice new learners and to inform loyal Schopenhauerians of the relevant, enduring ideas of The Great Pessimist.
Fighting for attention within a crowded Germanic tradition full of heavyweight thinkers, Schopenhauer has long been overdue for a biography that revisits the complexities of his life, as well as the enduring relevance of his often misunderstood ideas. In just under 300 pages, David Bather Woods delivers precisely that in his latest book, "Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist". In contrast to the pessimist’s cantankerous, nihilistic reputation, Woods presents Schopenhauer in a new light, exploring his compassion, clairvoyance, and surprising sensitivity. Adequately paced and brimming with insightful, lucid explanations, his biography offers a valuable, entertaining introduction for curious readers.
Woods opens with a thoughtful introduction, making light of why Schopenhauer’s epigrams often provoke laughter. In fact, much of the pessimist’s essays are filled with sardonic quotes, such as “Life swings like a pendulum backward and forward between pain and boredom,” that provoke nervous laughter at the audacity and accuracy of the statement. Wood assures readers that despite Schopenhauer’s unsettling comedic comments, we are sure to find a recurring theme of love—in various forms—within his writings.
Arthur Schopenhauer was raised in a wealthy, cultured family led by polyglot, highly educated parents. Following in the mercantile footsteps of his father, Schopenhauer’s direction and perspective were irrevocably altered by his father’s sudden suicide. Woods uses this event as a vantage point for exploring several of the German’s positions regarding suicide, sympathy, and punishment. This tragedy dissolved the burden of his father’s vocational demands, granting Schopenhauer the freedom to pursue academic study. His exceptionally educated mother also took the opportunity to pivot and launch a successful literary career—an early example of the many complex relationships Schopenhauer would have with women throughout his life.
Woods’ biography runs the gamut—from Schopenhauer’s disputed views on homosexuality, to his degrading essay on women, to his wacky proposal for regulating polyamory—astutely exposing the contradictions and contentious positions that permeated his worldview. This includes his reluctant reverence for the precocious sculptor Elisabet Ney, whose skilled bust of Schopenhauer astonished him and prompted a backhanded compliment: “It seems to me more and more unbelievable that you are a woman every day.” It’s hard to believe that the same man who compassionately condemned the slave trade and cruel American prison systems could simultaneously hold misogynistic views toward women, in spite of having an esteemed mother; but much of Schopenhauer’s compassion was grounded in his metaphysics rather than in ethical reasoning.
Schopenhauer unabashedly held contempt for society, making him an unlikable and complicated candidate for sympathy, but it was this innate disposition toward solitude that led to his most universally beneficial principle: a staunch advocacy for thinking for oneself—or Selbstdenken in German. He believed that true knowledge lies not in books or in the passive consumption of others’ ideas, but in personal experience followed by cognitive digestion and contemplation. As Woods explains: “Thinking for yourself produces the best-quality knowledge, Schopenhauer argued, because true wisdom is not simply a matter of possessing all the correct facts.”
Woods’ biography is a delightful read that peels back the layers of the German philosopher’s tangled life, revealing his humanity with each anecdote and intellectual digression. He anchors each chapter with a particular area of focus before effortlessly floating across timelines, momentous relationships, and chance encounters that helped shape Schopenhauer’s influential theories. Condensed to an approachable length, his work serves both to entice new learners and to inform loyal Schopenhauerians of the relevant, enduring ideas of The Great Pessimist.
December 30, 2025
Review coming soon.
December 23, 2025
A fascinating biography of (one of) the greatest pessimistic philosophers. (It's debatable whether Schopenhauer is the greatest; he's the most well-known and influential, definitely, but there are maybe 'more pessimistic' philosophers, such as Cioran or Zapffe.)
While I already knew about and appreciated some of Schopenhauer's thoughts and interests (pessimism, Buddhism, compassion, and animal ethics), I learnt more about some of his other views, which I could also relate to. What he had to say about solitude stood out in particular, which he had conflicting thoughts about. Like what he had to say about other areas of life, I felt he had some very wise thoughts about solitude, such as when you have too much of it:
"our mind becomes so sensitive due to its constant seclusion and loneliness that we feel worried or insulted or hurt by the most insignificant incidents, word, or even mere facial expressions, whereas those who are constantly in the thick of the fray do not even notice such things."
I also found Schopenhauer's theory of crying and his thoughts on madness interesting. But it became clearer, too, how many of Schopenhauer's strong generalisations were based on his own personal experience, often consisting of a few isolated incidents. This doesn't necessarily make those generalisations wrong, but when they do seem too strong, lacking in nuance, or just easy to find counterexamples to, it does make me think Schopenhauer was not as self-aware or wise as I imagined him to be. Woods brings these flaws to the surface by continually comparing Schopenhauer's personal experiences with his philosophical statements. Having said that, I never saw Schopenhauer as an extremely wise person anyway, given the many flaws of his I was already aware of, such as his personal resentments and attacks towards other philosophers, and his extreme misogyny.
As a biography, I was a big fan of how much detail Woods went into about Schopenhauer's life, which included dispelling a myth I didn't know was a myth (the grumpy philosopher didn't push his landlady down the stairs, but he did push another tenant, a seamstress, causing her injury, which led to a lengthy legal battle).
I also liked Woods' style of writing; it seems to have a stylistic flair to it similar to Schopenhauer's, which is a compliment, as I find Schopenhauer one of the most enjoyable philosophers to read. His writing is very clear and readable (but nothing is dumbed down).
In short, I'd say this is a great intro to the complex person that Schopenhauer was, who had a unique mix of virtues and vices, and whose personal life mixed with his philosophical views in all sorts of unique ways as well.
While I already knew about and appreciated some of Schopenhauer's thoughts and interests (pessimism, Buddhism, compassion, and animal ethics), I learnt more about some of his other views, which I could also relate to. What he had to say about solitude stood out in particular, which he had conflicting thoughts about. Like what he had to say about other areas of life, I felt he had some very wise thoughts about solitude, such as when you have too much of it:
"our mind becomes so sensitive due to its constant seclusion and loneliness that we feel worried or insulted or hurt by the most insignificant incidents, word, or even mere facial expressions, whereas those who are constantly in the thick of the fray do not even notice such things."
I also found Schopenhauer's theory of crying and his thoughts on madness interesting. But it became clearer, too, how many of Schopenhauer's strong generalisations were based on his own personal experience, often consisting of a few isolated incidents. This doesn't necessarily make those generalisations wrong, but when they do seem too strong, lacking in nuance, or just easy to find counterexamples to, it does make me think Schopenhauer was not as self-aware or wise as I imagined him to be. Woods brings these flaws to the surface by continually comparing Schopenhauer's personal experiences with his philosophical statements. Having said that, I never saw Schopenhauer as an extremely wise person anyway, given the many flaws of his I was already aware of, such as his personal resentments and attacks towards other philosophers, and his extreme misogyny.
As a biography, I was a big fan of how much detail Woods went into about Schopenhauer's life, which included dispelling a myth I didn't know was a myth (the grumpy philosopher didn't push his landlady down the stairs, but he did push another tenant, a seamstress, causing her injury, which led to a lengthy legal battle).
I also liked Woods' style of writing; it seems to have a stylistic flair to it similar to Schopenhauer's, which is a compliment, as I find Schopenhauer one of the most enjoyable philosophers to read. His writing is very clear and readable (but nothing is dumbed down).
In short, I'd say this is a great intro to the complex person that Schopenhauer was, who had a unique mix of virtues and vices, and whose personal life mixed with his philosophical views in all sorts of unique ways as well.
December 11, 2025
The necessity of defining "will as world and representation" as translated by Jessie Taylor in the late 19c to avoid confusion of the third titular noun with the Platonic "idea" accounts for the drive that impels us to procreate. Despite the fact its pleasure's brief, its drawbacks evident as we strain to repopulate our earth, and further our own mortal limitations to yet another generation which never asked to be born. Woods treats this central concern briefly but clearly, setting Schopenhauer in his German framework after his hated Hegel, before Marxists or existentialists, if nearing Nietzsche.
Woods avoids score-settling, jargon, or (with a few finger-wagging moments as his subject was not free of racist asides, or anti-Semitic jibes: his position on women themselves needs a lot of room to unpack, as it's crucial to his life and his theories alike, for better or worse) indignation. Instead, it's an accessible if uneven performance. Sections on themes, he admits early on, are "linear and looping" and this juxtaposition conveys the somewhat oddly paced coverage of this complicated thinker if not, in his career, a very exciting (what'd you expect, as he's not Goethe) everyday chronicle, fitting his uneasy temperament and his preference from his youth (father committed suicide; mother published 24 novels while castigating her "annoying" teenager) for his own company rather than mediocrities.
And anyone who championed animal rights, a pioneer for compassion, even if meted out rationally, who loved his two poodles sequentially named Atma, and who befriended a neighbor girl during his crotchety later years can't be all that bad. And he took advantage of the new invention of the camera to promote himself and ensure he wasn't forgotten. Which remains the case, although one suspects outside of academia he may continue to pop up most regularly in pop culture in crossword puzzles.
Woods avoids score-settling, jargon, or (with a few finger-wagging moments as his subject was not free of racist asides, or anti-Semitic jibes: his position on women themselves needs a lot of room to unpack, as it's crucial to his life and his theories alike, for better or worse) indignation. Instead, it's an accessible if uneven performance. Sections on themes, he admits early on, are "linear and looping" and this juxtaposition conveys the somewhat oddly paced coverage of this complicated thinker if not, in his career, a very exciting (what'd you expect, as he's not Goethe) everyday chronicle, fitting his uneasy temperament and his preference from his youth (father committed suicide; mother published 24 novels while castigating her "annoying" teenager) for his own company rather than mediocrities.
And anyone who championed animal rights, a pioneer for compassion, even if meted out rationally, who loved his two poodles sequentially named Atma, and who befriended a neighbor girl during his crotchety later years can't be all that bad. And he took advantage of the new invention of the camera to promote himself and ensure he wasn't forgotten. Which remains the case, although one suspects outside of academia he may continue to pop up most regularly in pop culture in crossword puzzles.
December 30, 2025
I'd love to review this book on its own merits, but I'll admit that I can't help but judge it against Bryan Magee's biography of Schopenhauer, and in that comparison, I'm afraid it falls short. That's not to say it's bad though.
Woods' biography is rather slight, which was somewhat surprising given the capaciousness of Schopenhauer's thought. But that's the thing — this book does not delve deeply into the philosophy. Of course, it gives you a glance at it, but no more. And for some people, that will be exactly what they want. Perhaps you're a person who's interested in philosophy, and you consider Schopenhauer a little off the beaten path, but you'd like to get a basic familiarity with who he was and what he was about. This book could certainly fulfill that wish. I doubt that the hardcore Schopenhauerian will come away from this book having gained any new insights.
I also feel — and this is common in the Schopenhauer literature that I've read — that Woods is not quite sympathetic enough to Schopenhauer's thought. Few are.
So in the end, I've given this book four stars, because (1) it's a biography of Schopenhauer that (2) is quite readable and goes down easy. But I'd still recommend Magee, and — of course — reading the original Schopenhauer works themselves.
Woods' biography is rather slight, which was somewhat surprising given the capaciousness of Schopenhauer's thought. But that's the thing — this book does not delve deeply into the philosophy. Of course, it gives you a glance at it, but no more. And for some people, that will be exactly what they want. Perhaps you're a person who's interested in philosophy, and you consider Schopenhauer a little off the beaten path, but you'd like to get a basic familiarity with who he was and what he was about. This book could certainly fulfill that wish. I doubt that the hardcore Schopenhauerian will come away from this book having gained any new insights.
I also feel — and this is common in the Schopenhauer literature that I've read — that Woods is not quite sympathetic enough to Schopenhauer's thought. Few are.
So in the end, I've given this book four stars, because (1) it's a biography of Schopenhauer that (2) is quite readable and goes down easy. But I'd still recommend Magee, and — of course — reading the original Schopenhauer works themselves.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews