Think of the Christian monk who lives in poverty, takes long fasts, and is completely abstinent.
This is a deep topic and a theological discussion in its own right, especially when Schopenhauer juxtaposes the New Testament worldview with the Old Testament.
But that's a discussion for another video.
If you are interested, please let us know in the comments.
Schopenhauer's view on biblical and theological topics is deeply interesting and unique, but it is also obscure.
So if you want a video on this, please let us know, because there simply doesn't seem to be too much demand for a video like this.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
Was Schopenhauer a pessimist? You could definitely say Schopenhauer was a pessimist according to the strict definition Schopenhauer himself uses.
In fact, if you follow Schopenhauer's practical advice, your life will end up looking almost exactly like the life of a Christian monk, minus perhaps the Bible study.
Let's just look at a few of those recommendations.
Voluntary and complete chastity is the first step in asceticism or the denial of the will to live.
He compels himself to refrain from doing all that he would like to do, and to do all that he would like not to do.
Every suffering coming to him from without, through chance or the wickedness of others, is welcome to him.
Every injury, ignominy and insult.
He nourishes his body sparingly.
Does this sound like the life of a Christian monk? Schopenhauer himself certainly thinks so.
And what I have here described, with feeble tongue and only in general terms, is no philosophical fable, invented by myself, and only of today.
No, it was the enviable life of so many saints and beautiful souls among Christians.
But to come back to the question of the video, this is of course not what people mean when they say Schopenhauer was a pessimist.
What they really mean to ask is, was Schopenhauer a hypocrite? The charge of hypocrisy looms over Schopenhauer's legacy.
It comes up time and again, not in the least in the aforementioned quote of Nietzsche.
Bertrand Russell, in his History of Western Philosophy, also accuses Schopenhauer of being a hypocrite.
Think of the Christian monk who lives in poverty, takes long fasts, and is completely abstinent.
This is a deep topic and a theological discussion in its own right, especially when Schopenhauer juxtaposes the New Testament worldview with the Old Testament.
But that's a discussion for another video.
If you are interested, please let us know in the comments.
Schopenhauer's view on biblical and theological topics is deeply interesting and unique, but it is also obscure.
So if you want a video on this, please let us know, because there simply doesn't seem to be too much demand for a video like this.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
Was Schopenhauer a pessimist? You could definitely say Schopenhauer was a pessimist according to the strict definition Schopenhauer himself uses.
In fact, if you follow Schopenhauer's practical advice, your life will end up looking almost exactly like the life of a Christian monk, minus perhaps the Bible study.
Let's just look at a few of those recommendations.
Voluntary and complete chastity is the first step in asceticism or the denial of the will to live.
He compels himself to refrain from doing all that he would like to do, and to do all that he would like not to do.
Every suffering coming to him from without, through chance or the wickedness of others, is welcome to him.
Every injury, ignominy and insult.
He nourishes his body sparingly.
Does this sound like the life of a Christian monk? Schopenhauer himself certainly thinks so.
And what I have here described, with feeble tongue and only in general terms, is no philosophical fable, invented by myself, and only of today.
No, it was the enviable life of so many saints and beautiful souls among Christians.
But to come back to the question of the video, this is of course not what people mean when they say Schopenhauer was a pessimist.
What they really mean to ask is, was Schopenhauer a hypocrite? The charge of hypocrisy looms over Schopenhauer's legacy.
It comes up time and again, not in the least in the aforementioned quote of Nietzsche.
Bertrand Russell, in his History of Western Philosophy, also accuses Schopenhauer of being a hypocrite.
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