Schopenhauer and Pessimism
It is apt to establish that one cannot understand the philosophy of Schopenhauer without understanding his concept of will. The will is central to his philosophy. Thus, he is often referred to as the philosopher of will. This is evident in his theory of Pessimism, a belief that bad things will happen to someone or that a particular thing will not be successful. Schopenhauer’s pessimism is rooted in his understanding of the human nature which is exposed to perpetual suffering. Many philosophers have argued that this theory is consistent with his life and experience. This paper argues that Schopenhauer’s theory of Pessimism is consistent with his entire philosophy and how he perceived life.
Keywords: pessimism, schopenhauer