A pessimistic philosopher, an irrationalist who denies most of the concepts and ideas, this is how Schopenhauer Arthur appeared to the general public. But what made him so? Pushed precisely to this worldview? He always believed that will is the cornerstone of life, the driving force that breathed life into us and rules the mind. Without the will there would be no cognition and intellect, the development of man in what he is now. So what prompted him to this way of thinking?
Childhood
The future philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, whose birth date falls on February 28, 1788, was born into the family of a businessman and a writer. From a young age his father tried to instill in the boy a love for his work, but he did not succeed in this. Education Arthur received episodically: several months in Le Havre, a partner in the business of his father at the age of 9, then training in Runge, in the elite school - at 11, and by the age of 15 the young man moves to study in the UK. But travel on this did not end, and in a short space he visited several European countries for 2 years.
A family
The relations of Schopenhauer's parents were complex. In the end, his father left the family, and later committed suicide. Mother was so frivolous and cheerful person that pessimist Arthur also lacks the patience to live with her side by side, and in 1814 they leave, but continue to maintain friendly relations. This helps the young philosopher to make many interesting and useful acquaintances among the bohemians of that time.
Adulthood
Having a fairly large amount in a bank account and living on interest, Schopenhauer Arthur goes to Goettingen University to study medicine. But two years later he transferred to the University of Berlin and changed the faculty to a philosophical one. It can not be said that he was a diligent student. Lectures did not attract him, and the visit left much to be desired, but those questions that really worried the future philosopher, he studied in all planes, trying to get to the heart of the problem. Such, for example, were the idea of Schelling's freedom of will or the theory of secondary qualities of Locke. Particular attention was paid to the dialogues of Plato and the construction of Kant. In 1813, Schopenhauer Arthur defended his doctoral dissertation on the law of sufficient cause. And after that, she starts working on her main work.
Philosophical works
It is worth considering how unusual the philosopher was Arthur Schopenhauer. Interesting facts were revealed to researchers who examined his personal records. As it turned out, professional dissatisfaction, a thirst for fame and weak led the writer into a frenzy, why from his pen there appeared insulting and often unfair attacks against the alleged competitors.
In 1818 the first book "The World as Will and Representation" was published, however it went completely unnoticed either to the general public or to the scientific community. The publisher suffered losses, and the philosopher received a wounded pride. In order to rehabilitate himself, the young German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer decides to give lectures at the University of Berlin. But since Hegel taught there at the same time, the students ignored the young assistant professor with his gloomy outlook on life. Not wishing to be the object of ridicule or pity, the writer leaves for Italy, away from university fuss. But a year later he returns again to try his luck again on his teacher's path. Even the death of the enemy in 1831 did not make the course more popular, and the young man quits teaching forever.
Moving. Life with a clean slate
Leaving Berlin because of the epidemic of cholera and moving to Frankfurt am Main, "born" a new bachelor - Arthur Schopenhauer. Philosophy briefly and rarely, but still flashed in his life. So, he received a prize from the Norwegian Scientific Royal Society for his article. Publications of it were also not popular, and the re-edition of the book, now divided into two volumes, again proved to be a failure. Negativism, misanthropy and despair grew more and more in Schopenhauer. He began to hate all philosophers in bulk and individually, especially Hegel, who infected his ideas with the whole of Europe.
Revolution
"And tomorrow there was a war ...". No, of course, there was no war, but after the revolution of 1848-1849 the world outlook of people, their problems, goals and views changed greatly. They became more sober and pessimistic about the reality surrounding them. This allowed to appear opportunities, which did not fail to take advantage of Arthur Schopenhauer. Philosophy was briefly able to fit in aphoristic expressions and advice, which fell to the liking of compatriots. The publication of this book brought the philosopher fame and glory, which he so dreamed of.
Late Glory
Now Schopenhauer Arthur could be satisfied with his fate. His house was full, whole pilgrimages were made in the places of his residence. The universities lectured on his philosophy, there were also personal pupils. In 1854, Wagner sends him his famous tetralogy "Ring of the Nibelungen" with an autograph, this sign of attention biographers considered particularly important.
Five years later, a new edition of "The World as Will and Ethics" is published, and a year later its articles, essays and aphorisms are reprinted. But the author did not see them anymore. Pneumonia caught him suddenly, and on September 21, 1860 Arthur Schopenhauer died. A brief biography, published later, managed to convey its truthfulness to the words of the late philosopher: "The sunset of my life was the dawn of my glory."
Pessimistic philosophy became popular in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was at this moment that the will became meaningful for the people who survived in the fire of the Revolution. According to these postulates, suffering is good, and satisfaction is evil. The philosopher explained this position quite simply: only dissatisfaction allows us to feel our needs and desires more sharply. When the need is satisfied, the suffering disappears not for a while, but you can not remove it forever, which means that life is a series of suffering from birth to death. And as a conclusion from all this, the philosophical idea of Schopenhauer says that in a world like this one, it is better not to appear at all. It has had a significant impact on the worldview and perception of historical events of personalities such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Albert Einstein and Leo Tolstoy. Each of these people in one way or another influenced the development of society, changed the opinion of his contemporaries about what life should be like. And this could not happen, if not rejected and forgotten in his youth Arthur Schopenhauer.