Schopenhauer Flashcards
(6 cards)
What divide does Schopenhauer make in understanding the world?
Representations are the way the mind structures our experience of the world
Representations:
form
- natural sciences, mathematics
- Phenomenal world for Kant.
- causality, space, and time
- looks at things from without
Science tells us about the relations and form of representation but doesn’t tell us anything about our relations to it and the meaning of it (ding an sich).
Content
- inner nature, meaning
- Beneath these representations lies the content or essence of things, the Will.
The Will is the fundamental reality, the force that drives all existence.
What is the Will in Schopenhauer’s philosophy?
Schopenhauer builds on Kant:
- the world as we perceive it is shaped by the mind (representations). -
However, beneath this lies the Will.
The Will is the metaphysical force underlying all phenomena, the “thing-in-itself.” It is:
- Irrational and insatiable, manifesting as endless striving and desire of all living things.
- Unconditioned and exists independently of time, space, or causality, unlike representations.
How does Schopenhauer view the human body?
Schopenhauer bridges the gap between the physical and metaphysical through the human body.
Body as Representation: The body is a physical object, observable and subject to natural laws.
Body as Will: the Will manifests in the body, experienced through hunger, pain, and desires, making it the metaphysical striving perceivable.
How does Schopenhauer use the analogy of one’s own body to understand others?
Since we experience our own body as both representation and Will, we can infer that other bodies share this dual nature.
Why does Schopenhauer assert that life is fundamentally suffering?
The Will manifests as endless striving.
Even fulfilled desires bring only temporary relief, as new ones arise.
Individual wills conflict, creating a struggle where one being’s gain is often another’s loss, amplifying suffering.
How can we escape suffering according to Schopenhauer?
Schopenhauer offers two things for escaping the suffering of the Will:
Meditation: Meditation involves self-discipline and taming desires, weakening the hold of the Will.
Art: Aesthetic contemplation allows for a temporary escape from the Will. We lose ourselves in pure perception, experiencing beauty and the essence of things without personal desire.
Music, is the highest form of art because it directly expresses the Will without the intermediary of representation. It appeals directly to our emotions / body.
