Arthur Schopenhauer is known as a representative of the "philosophy of pessimism", which is characterized by dark ideas, clothed in a romantic form. The philosopher was convinced that human suffering is natural, and happiness is impossible to achieve. The formation of the views of the German philosopher was largely influenced by the events of his life.
Schopenhauer biography facts
Arthur Schopenhauer was born on February 22, 1788 in the Prussian Danzig (now it is Gdansk). He came from a wealthy and highly cultured family. His father, being a well-known local merchant and banker, often traveled throughout the country. Mother tried herself in literary creation and was the owner of the salon, where very famous personalities often visited, including Goethe himself.
When Arthur was nine years old, his parents sent him to study in Le Havre. Later, the boy was sent to a very prestigious gymnasium in Hamberg. The offspring of famous German businessmen studied there. At the age of fifteen, Schopenhauer spent six months at Wimbledon. This was followed by further education at the Weimar Gymnasium and the University of Göttingen: there the young man studied natural sciences and philosophy. In 1811, Arthur moved to Berlin and diligently attended the lectures of Schleimacher and Fichte. A year later, Schopenhauer becomes a Ph. D. from the University of Jena.
Schopenhauer and his "philosophy of pessimism"
Arthur Schopenhauer developed the idea that happiness does not exist. The reason is simple: people's unfulfilled desires hurt them. If the aspirations are realized, then they only lead to satiety. The philosopher declares any goals to be meaningless, comparing them to “soap bubbles”. When inflated to a large size, the target simply bursts.
The key place in Schopenhauer's teachings is occupied by questions of will and motivation. The philosopher argued with those scientists who put intellect in the first place in human life. Will is what is the fundamental principle of man, Schopenhauer believed. This eternal substance is self-sufficient, it cannot disappear and determines what the world will be like.
Nicknamed the "philosopher of pessimism," Schopenhauer extolled the ideas of Hegel and Fichte. During his lifetime, the German philosopher was not at the forefront of the scientific world. However, his writings have had a significant impact on the generations of philosophers that have come to replace him.
Schopenhauer published his main scientific work, entitled "The World as Will and Representation," in 1819. In this work, the philosopher reflected his views on will as a true reality. A year later, Schopenhauer began to lecture at the University of Berlin. However, he failed to attract the attention to his work that received his colleague Hegel.
Schopenhauer was not popular during his lifetime. However, in 1839, the philosopher was awarded the honorary prize of the Royal Norwegian Scientific Society for the competitive work "On the freedom of human will".
The personal life of a philosopher
Schopenhauer shunned society and women. In his life there was a girl who planted a seed of misogyny in the sensitive soul of the philosopher. Once a young man fell madly in love with Caroline Dzhegerman. The love was so strong that he even decided to start a family. However, his chosen one did not want to burden herself with family ties with a pessimistic philosopher. She asked Arthur to leave her alone.
A thought flashed through Schopenhauer's head: all women are naturally stupid. These foolish creatures are incapable of building the future. In a woman, the philosopher began to see only sinfulness and vice.
In the declining years
A cold attitude to Schopenhauer's ideas and personal troubles brought him disappointment. He did not stay in Berlin, but moved to Frankfurt am Main. The official reason for the move was the cholera epidemic. In a new place, the philosopher spent the rest of his life in complete solitude. The inhabitants of the German city have long remembered this very unfriendly, overly gloomy man. Schopenhauer was usually sullen and disliked empty talk. He avoided people and did not trust them. In man, Schopenhauer saw a wild animal full of passions, which are held back only by the bridle of civilization.
In 1860, the philosopher fell ill with pneumonia; On September 21, he was gone. The tombstone of the philosopher is extremely modest. The inscription "Arthur Schopenhauer" is engraved on it. Interest in the work of the German thinker began to awaken in society only after his death.
