Arthur Schopenhauer

Rodney F. Taylor

Ed. by Gerhard P. Knapp, University of Utah
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.1: German-language Writing and Culture: Germany, 500-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Dates

Born 22 Feb 1788
Died 21 Sep 1860
Activity 1813-1860

Places

Born in Germany
Active in Germany

Activities

Primary

Philosopher

Resources

Schopenhauer's philosophy begins with Berkeley's dictum that sensible reality is an object for consciousness: “esse est percipi”, to be is to perceive, from which it follows that “the world is my Idea”. His magnum opus, Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung [The World as Will and Idea], is among humanity's supreme achievements. A literary work of art, the treatise is an ontology, or theory of being, which encompasses an epistemology, a Platonic aesthetic and a Buddhist ethic. Schopenhauer's book epitomizes the ancient tradition of Wisdom Philosophy, for it elaborates a metaphysic of spiritual freedom illuminating the soul's way to salvation. The impact of Schopenhauer's philosophy was immense, encompassing …

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3506 words

Citation: Taylor, Rodney F.. "Arthur Schopenhauer". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 September 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3964, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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