Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860-1900

by Frederick C. Beiser

Weltschmerz is a study of the pessimism that dominated German philosophy in the second half of the nineteenth century. Pessimism was essentially the theory that life is not worth living. This theory was introduced into German philosophy by Schopenhauer, whose philosophy became very fashionable in the 1860s. Frederick C. Beiser examines the intense and long controversy that arose from Schopenhauer's pessimism, which changed the agenda of philosophy in Germanyaway from the logic of the sciences and toward an examination of the value of life. He examines the major defenders of pessimism (Philipp Mainländer, Eduard von Hartmann and Julius Bahnsen) and its chief critics, especially Eugen Dühring and the neo-Kantians. The pessimism dispute of the second half of thecentury has been largely ignored in secondary literature and this book is a first attempt since the 1880s to re-examine it and to analyze the important philosophical issues raised by it. The dispute concerned the most fundamental philosophical issue of them whether life is worth living.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Nonfiction, Theory, Germany

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Frederick C. Beiser, one of the leading scholars of German Idealism, is a Professor of Philosophy at Syracuse University. Prior to joining Syracuse, he was a member of the faculty at Indiana University, Bloomington where he received a 1999-2000 NEH Faculty Fellowship. He has also taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Harvard and Yale University. Beiser earned his DPhil. degree from Oxford University under the direction of Charles Taylor and Isaiah Berlin.

Beiser's first book, The Fate of Reason: German Philosophy from Kant to Fichte (Harvard, 1987) was widely influential in revising the commonly held, but notorious accounts of German Idealism. In this book, Beiser sought to reconstruct the background of German Idealism through the narration of the story of the Spinoza or Pantheism controversy. Consequently, a great many figures, whose importance was hardly recognized by the English speaking philosophers, were given their proper due.
Beiser has also written on the German Romantics and 19th century British philosophy.

Reviews

[Daniel Schotman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is basically attempting to bridge the gap between Schopenhauer and Nietzsche and restores Schopenhauer to it's rightful place as the most important and influential philosopher between 1850 and the outbreak of WO1 as this man is too often overshadowed by Kant & Hegel earlier that age and Nietzsche after.

It is also a perfect introduction to understanding the overall turn of philosophy and pessimistic (or perhaps disappointing attitude of intellectuals in that time and reading the likes of Spengler now become much more clear and understandable, who was in many ways caping this line of thought off.

Having said that, the subjects (People) and the ideas explained in this book are heavy, dark, glooming and extremely depressing. As such the title of this book is well chosen.

[Anmol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastic resource bridging the gap between the zeitgeist of Schopenhauer (1850s-60s) with that of Nietzsche (1890s-1900s). The philosophies of Mainlander and Hartmann, in particular, are very intriguing and deserve closer independent attention.

The pessimist therefore accepted the negative side of Christian teaching (the evil and suffering of the world) but rejected its positive side (redemption in another world). Pessimism was thus essentially Christianity without theism.

[VII · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, my rating reflects my reading experience and not some kind of “objective” view of the work. I think the author did a good job at presenting all these views. I am glad this book was written, since most of (all?) these philosophers have not been translated in English. My only criticism towards him is the untranslated German titles and phrases. It's common practice unfortunately but that's no excuse.

On the one hand it was completely amazing reading about a (philosophical) era where life was considered suffering and non-existence better than existence. I agree with that statement but almost nobody takes it seriously even in our current, more liberal era. If that doesn't show that all our beliefs are normative, I don't know what does. Mainlander especially was absolutely fascinating. On the other hand though, I couldn't take their beliefs seriously and the reason is very clear: their extreme reliance on metaphysics. They postulate things, like the will and then fight if that will is one or there can be many individual pieces of it. These kind of arguments just don't fly anymore and they seem almost like pure fantasy or religion. It's no wonder that I found the most reasonable one to be Duhring who was positivistic, even though he was an optimist and I am clearly not. Talk to me about materialism and eudemonic calculus, not idealism and metaphysics. I was also impressed by Olga Plumacher who seems to be completely unknown. Other than that, I just finished the book and I barely remember anything about the details of their disagreements or their core beliefs. For me it was more of a gossip or maybe a history book than a philosophical one.

[Brandon Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

An utterly fascinating look into the philosophical pessimism movement that took place in the late 1800s. I never knew how much breadth and depth existed within such a seemingly narrow topic, nor the amount of feverish controversy it created. The writing is excellent, covering many thinker’s philosophies in a concise and easy to read manner. I really appreciate the amount of sources the author brought to this book—letters, essays, unpublished and forgotten texts—many of which have never been translated to English. The footnotes and bibliography are very in depth and give tons of directions for further reading. My one complaint is that all the German book titles and many Latin phrases are left in their original form, untranslated. I think it would have really aided my ability to remember and distinguish between texts if I knew the English translations.
If you are at all interested in reading about the many philosophers who rose to prominence in the wake of Schopenhauer, I couldn’t recommend this book enough. 4.5/5

[Andreas Schriefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows up how the seeds planted by the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer grow up. From the year of his death in 1860 until the end of the century several philosophers followed the footprints into pessimism.

The book makes a good overview about the thoughts of pessimistic philosophy by Philipp Mainländer, Julius Bahnsen and Eduard von Hartmann and how they faced the problems of the world.

Very recommend because it shows german philosphy in its lesser known areas.

[WAIA · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've had this book in my collection for ages now... and I finally took a dive and read it!

For what did I originally seek it out? For a few reasons. I wanted more historical knowledge behind pre-ww1 germany. I also wanted to see Frederich Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer in actual historical context, in the discourse of their time. This book answers both calls for me. Though the book doesn't get into Nietzsche at all because scholarship on him has been done to death. (fair enough) To me, it was still very illuminating.

To some extent it "normalizes" Nietzsche from his stardom and you get to see exactly where he differs from other thinkers as well as where he overlaps. Sometimes Beiser points these moments out, but readers of Nietzsche will already see even more points of comparison. Nietzsche was truly a child of his time in some respects. Now that I've had my time trodding over the man just as many others in this text, let's move on.

The book is especially illuminating in Schopenhauer to me and the cultural effect he caused through his writing. The book does exactly what it says it would. It gives an overview of pessimism in german philosophy. It does so through first outlining Schopenhauer's ideas, a light analysis and summary of said ideas and how that in response stimulated mass discourse. Mass interaction. A philosophical upheaval. Though that Schopy is not the only man at the helm here and that there was a general miasma of pessimism in the air at the time. Eitherway, it introduces problems and points and also 5 major thinkers who gave a strong response to Schopy and the question on pessimism. Most of which until recently have had little to no coverage in the english speaking world. Those are: Julius Frauenstädt, Eugen Dühring, Eduard von Hartmann, Mainländer, Julius Bahsen.

The beauty of the book is really how it is a massive reoccuring dialogue in of itself. These people (alongside others, really, even people outside of the sphere of pessimism) were all in communication with eachother. It removes the philosophers out of the dormant, isolated pages of their works and brings them to life in history. They are not meant to be seen in isolation. The same really goes for Schopy and Nietzsche even though that is what happend.
The method of constantly going back to the responses to the ideas being presented and the conversations between these authors is what gives this book its power. That is what makes it so great.

Recently I've felt a strong dire need for more reading exactly like this. In synergy rather than in isolation. I'm afraid the old scrooge of frankfurt was wrong in one of his essays to say that it is "merely about the core ideas and work of the thinkers and not that which surrounds it" (paraphrase) in regards to Goethe. It is the whole of the context that animates it and that makes it much more complete. One must not have an ear bigger than ones body in these cases.

extra note: I know that it is just one section of all which was going on at the time. Very eye-opening eitherway.

[Vathek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beiser is as learned, rational, and charitable here as elsewhere, and his trademark style - a deliciously naive, highly rational simplicity - makes this book as fun a read as any. If it's not the best of his work, then that's no fault of the grand'uomo himself, but of his protagonists, who, Schopenhauer excepted, all appear like second-rate figures of merely historical significance. Highly recommended for those interested in nihilism, pessimism, and the cultural role of philosophy.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

resumen para ociosos:
(1a)La vida es deseo
(2) El deseo es sufrimiento
(C) La vida es sufrimiento

(1b)Hay más sufrimiento que placer, puesto que incluso el placer lleva al sufrimiento.
(C)La vida no merece la pena ser vivida

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederick C. Beiser’s Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860–1900 (2016) offers a compelling and meticulously researched exploration of one of the most intriguing and often overlooked intellectual movements in 19th-century German thought: philosophical pessimism. This school of thought, embodied most famously by Arthur Schopenhauer and later by Eduard von Hartmann, emerged as a powerful response to the perceived crises of modernity, grappling with questions of suffering, meaning, and existence. Beiser’s study is both a historical reconstruction and a philosophical analysis, situating pessimism within its broader intellectual, cultural, and social contexts.

Beiser begins by challenging the common neglect of pessimism in the historiography of philosophy. He argues that, far from being a marginal or eccentric movement, pessimism occupied a central position in late 19th-century German intellectual life. Thinkers such as Schopenhauer and Hartmann ignited widespread debates that engaged not only philosophers but also theologians, scientists, and social theorists. Beiser frames pessimism as a serious philosophical response to the existential implications of scientific naturalism and the decline of traditional religious beliefs, making it a vital part of the intellectual history of modernity.

At the heart of Beiser’s analysis is Schopenhauer’s claim that life is fundamentally characterized by suffering, driven by the insatiable will to live. Schopenhauer’s metaphysical pessimism, with its emphasis on the futility of human striving, forms the foundation of the movement. Beiser examines Schopenhauer’s influence on subsequent thinkers, particularly Hartmann, whose Philosophy of the Unconscious synthesized Schopenhauer’s metaphysics with elements of Hegelian dialectics. Hartmann’s vision of history as a process of collective suffering culminating in the eventual extinction of the will represents a unique and ambitious contribution to pessimistic thought, which Beiser analyzes with clarity and rigor.

A major strength of Beiser’s work is his contextual approach. He situates pessimism within the broader debates of the period, including controversies over Darwinism, the nature of progress, and the role of religion in an increasingly secularized world. By doing so, Beiser demonstrates how pessimism served as a critical counterpoint to the optimism of liberal and progressive ideologies. For instance, while many of Hartmann’s contemporaries championed the triumph of reason and human advancement, Hartmann’s work underscored the limits of such optimism, highlighting the existential costs of progress.

Beiser also provides an in-depth examination of the reception and critique of pessimism, particularly the backlash it provoked among figures such as Wilhelm Dilthey, Friedrich Nietzsche, and the neo-Kantians. Nietzsche, for example, rejected pessimism’s life-denying conclusions, advocating instead for an affirmation of life in the face of suffering. Beiser deftly analyzes these debates, illustrating how pessimism shaped and was shaped by its critics.

While Beiser’s scholarship is exemplary, the book is not without its limitations. The focus on Schopenhauer and Hartmann, though justified given their centrality, occasionally comes at the expense of other voices in the movement. Figures such as Philipp Mainländer and Julius Bahnsen, both of whom made significant contributions to pessimistic thought, receive comparatively less attention. Additionally, while Beiser convincingly establishes the philosophical seriousness of pessimism, some readers may wish for a more detailed engagement with its aesthetic and literary dimensions, given the movement’s profound influence on writers like Thomas Mann and Samuel Beckett.

Nevertheless, these are minor critiques of a work that achieves its primary aims with remarkable success. Beiser’s Weltschmerz not only rescues philosophical pessimism from obscurity but also highlights its relevance to contemporary concerns. In an age marked by growing existential and environmental anxieties, the questions raised by pessimism about suffering, progress, and the human condition remain as urgent as ever.

In conclusion, Weltschmerz is a masterful study of an intellectual movement that grapples with some of the most profound and unsettling aspects of human existence. Beiser’s erudition and clarity make this book an indispensable resource for scholars of 19th-century philosophy, intellectual history, and anyone interested in the darker currents of modern thought. By illuminating the richness and complexity of pessimism, Beiser not only restores its rightful place in the history of philosophy but also invites readers to confront the enduring tensions between hope and despair in the modern world.

GPT