Arthur Schopenhauer

Rodney F. Taylor
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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 such diverse movements as the theory of organic evolution, Wagnerian opera,…

3506 words

Citation: Taylor, Rodney F.. "Arthur Schopenhauer". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 September 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3964, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3964 Arthur Schopenhauer 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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