Arthur Schopenhauer devoted his adult life to the articulation of a philosophy for the world, a philosophy that would benefit mankind by providing a solution to the riddle of existence. Often considered a thoroughgoing pessimist, Schopenhauer in fact advocated ways - via artistic, moral and ascetic forms of awareness - to overcome a frustration-filled and fundamentally painful human condition. Though presented in luminous prose, Schopenhauers philosophy was ignored for most of his life. Yet fifty years after his death his ideas were celebrated by intellectuals, writers and artists. His name was a byword for philosophical greatness. This new critical biography provides a concise introduction to the life and work of the nineteenth-century German philosopher, situating the principal doctrines of his philosophy in the context of his life. Philosopher and scholar Peter B. Lewis describes and explains all the major events, as well as the philosophers ideas on the meaning of life, the nature of art, religion and morality. He also relates Schopenhauers ideas to the intellectual and cultural background of early nineteenth-century Germany.
Schopenhauers philosophy has always held a special attraction for those who wonder about lifes meaning, as well as those interested in music, literature and the visual arts. Illustrated with portraits and photographs of Schopenhauer, and his family and contemporaries, Arthur Schopenhauer will engage all those readers, as well as students and scholars of Schopenhauer or nineteenth-century philosophy.
Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) is usually remembered for his pessimism. His most influential work, The World as Will and Representation, concluded that no human desires can ever be fully satisfied. But as Peter B. Lewis shows in this new critical biography, Schopenhauer in fact advocated ways--via artistic, moral, and ascetic forms of awareness--to overcome the frustration-filled and fundamentally painful human condition. Offering a concise introduction to the life and work of this German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer explores a man who devoted his life to articulating a philosophy that would benefit mankind by providing a solution to the riddle of human existence. Lewis situates Schopenhauer's principal doctrines of his philosophy into the context of his life, explaining how major events like his father's apparent suicide led to his ideas on the meaning of life and the nature of art, religion, and morality. He also relates Schopenhauer's thoughts to the intellectual and cultural world of early nineteenth-century Germany, where his philosophy was ignored for most of his life. Illustrated with images of Schopenhauer, his family, and his contemporaries, this book will engage anyone interested in music, literature, and the arts, as well as those who ponder the eternal questions of life's meaning.
