The Oxford Handbook of SchopenhauerRobert L. Wicks More than two hundred years after the publication of his seminal The World as Will and Representation, Arthur Schopenhauer's influence is still felt in philosophy and beyond. As one of the most readable and central philosophers of the 19th century, his work inspired the most influential thinkers and artists of his time, including Nietzsche, Freud, and Wagner. Though known primarily as a herald of philosophical pessimism, the full range of his contributions is displayed here in a collection of thirty-one essays on the forefront of Schopenhauer scholarship. Essays written by contemporary Schopenhauer scholars explore his central notions, including the will, empirical knowledge, and the sublime, and widens to the interplay of ethics and religion with Schopenhauer's philosophy. Authors confront difficult aspects of Schopenhauer's work and legacy--for example, the extent to which Schopenhauer adopted ideas from his predecessors compared to how much was original and visionary in his central claim that reality is a blind, senseless "will," the effectiveness of his philosophy in the field of scientific explanation and extrasensory phenomena, and the role of beauty and sublimity in his outlook. Essays also challenge prevailing assumptions about Schopenhauer by exploring the fundamental role of compassion in his moral theory, the Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist aspects of his philosophy, and the importance of asceticism in his views on the meaning of life. The collection is an internationally constituted work that reflects upon Schopenhauer's philosophy with authors presently working across the globe. It demonstrates fully the richness of Schopenhauer's work and his lasting impact on philosophy and psychoanalysis, as well as upon music, the visual arts, and literature. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
according action actually aesthetic animal appears argues Arthur beauty become body Buddhism called Cambridge causality cause chapter character Christian claim compassion concept concerning consciousness critical death described desire doctrine edited empirical essay essence ethics example existence experience explain expression fact feeling force freedom German give given Goethe ground human idea ideal immediate important Indian individual influence intellectual interpretation intuition Kant Kant’s kind knowledge Krause later letter living matter meaning merely metaphysical mind moral motive namely nature Nietzsche Nietzsche’s notes notion object one’s original Oxford person philosophy position possible present principle problem pure question reading reality reason refers regard relation religion remains representation Schopenhauer Schopenhauer’s sense sublime suffering theory thing thought tion transcendent translated true truth ultimate understanding University Press whole writings WWR1 WWR2