Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Arthur Schopenhauer

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Gutenberg ID

59024

Title

Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Arthur Schopenhauer

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This collection compiles Arthur Schopenhauer's seminal essays and philosophical treatises, ranging from practical advice on happiness and conduct to his profound metaphysical system. Featuring his famous pessimistic worldview, critiques of Kant, and insights into art and morality, this volume offers a comprehensive introduction to his enduring influence on Western thought.

Summary up to 500 words

This anthology compiles the essential works of Arthur Schopenhauer, offering a comprehensive survey of his intellectual legacy ranging from practical advice to profound metaphysical inquiry. The collection opens with accessible wisdom found in 'Counsels and Maxims' and 'The Wisdom of Life,' where Schopenhauer provides aphorisms on happiness, prudent conduct, and the management of desire. He argues that human life is fundamentally driven by a blind, striving force he terms the 'Will,' a concept that generates inevitable suffering. This central theme is rigorously developed in 'Studies in Pessimism' and his magnum opus, 'The World as Will and Idea.' In his major philosophical treatise, Schopenhauer posits that the world is first a mere representation structured by the Principle of Sufficient Reason, ultimately revealing itself as the objectification of a singular Will. He critiques Immanuel Kant's philosophy while constructing his own metaphysics, explaining how this Will manifests in nature, animal instinct, and human drives, particularly sexual reproduction. His aesthetic theories elevate art and music as the only means to temporarily escape the tyranny of the Will, offering a release from the pain of existence. Ethical reflections within the text focus on justice, compassion, and the denial of the will to live as a path to salvation. Through rigorous logic and stark realism, Schopenhauer challenges readers to confront the vanity of existence and seek transcendence through knowledge and artistic contemplation. The volume also includes his essays on literature, controversy, and human nature, alongside dialogues on religion and observations on women and suicide, presenting a unified vision of a philosophy that seeks to understand the suffering inherent in reality and the potential for liberation through the intellect and art.

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Categories

• Philosophy
• Indexes