Schopenhauer: The Philosopher Who Knew Life’s Pain
When Arthur Schopenhauer was walking his poodle, he looked at the world with sadness. He saw humans and animals struggling to survive in a world they never chose to be in. And from the day they were born, the suffering only worsened as they contracted diseases, heartbreak, betrayal, old age, and death. When he saw a bird feasting on a worm, he imagined that the experience of being eaten is far more painful than the act of eating is joyful, which only confirmed his observation that life’s pain vastly outweighs life’s pleasures.
Contemplating the vast amount of misery and suffering in this world, Schopenhauer concluded that it would be better if the Earth were lifeless, in a crystalline state like the Moon. Schopenhauer was aware of the inherent suffering that comes with life, which many consider a valid viewpoint. He didn’t deny that his philosophy is “comfortless,” as he didn’t seek to sugarcoat anything and explain life as it is: marked by constant dissatisfaction, with fleeting moments of pleasure ultimately outweighed by the overall pain and frustration of existence.
The amount of suffering is vast, so observed Schopenhauer. Life is a constant striving, a relentless pursuit of desires and needs that keep appearing. So it’s no surprise that people label this philosopher ‘pessimistic’ and ‘dark.’ But his observations aren’t unfounded. Schopenhauer based his beliefs on profound views and examinations of the nature of reality, particularly an all-encompassing force that lies at the basis of our suffering, which he called the Will, also known as the Will-to-Live.
During his solitary life, Schopenhauer wrote extensively and produced works that have stood the test of time and inspired later thinkers such as Nietzsche and Freud. His writings seem to appeal to many – not because they’re positive and uplifting but, most likely, because they unveil certain realities of life that most people are eager to sweep under the carpet. This video explores Arthur Schopenhauer and his philosophy, briefly showing who he was, what his philosophy entails, and why, according to him, life sucks.
Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher who lived from 1788 to 1860, grew up in a wealthy family of merchants. He was born in the city of Danzig, which was back then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Nowadays, it’s a city in Poland known as Gdansk. He lost his father at a young age, and his relationship with his mother, Johanna, was complex. Johanna Schopenhauer was a domineering and overbearing figure in Arthur’s life and often criticized and belittled him.
As she valued societal status, image, and social connections, she wanted her son to pursue a career in commerce, which wasn’t quite compatible with Arthur’s intellectual interests and introspective personality. Philosophically, Schopenhauer was interested in a broad range of subjects. He admired Eastern philosophies like those found in Buddhism and Hinduism, particularly the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Theravada Buddhist scriptures. His interest in and appreciation for Eastern philosophy was uncommon at that time.
The ideas of Plato, Aristotle, and Spinoza influenced him as well. During his studies at the University of Göttingen and later at the University of Berlin, he became familiar with the works of Kant, which had a significant impact on his thinking. “The World as Will and Representation” (Die Welt as Wille und Vorstellung), Schopenhauer’s greatest work, was published in 1818. It served as the foundation of his philosophical system, in which he proposed that reality is fundamentally guided by an irrational and blind force he named the “Will,” which drives all beings to pursue and meet their needs relentlessly.
He said, however, that this never-ending desire, represented by the human will, inevitably results in pain and unhappiness. As a result of Schopenhauer’s unique manner and pessimistic outlook on the world, which didn’t quite jive with the philosophical trends at that time, his philosophy did not receive much attention during his lifet...