Analysis of Schopenhauer’s views on intellectual pursuits

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) regarded intellectual and cultural pursuits as potentially detrimental; he recommended to steer away from pursuits that generate unworkable desires and ambitions. Before investing oneself in those, one should figure out the consequences. Schopenhauer’s views on intellectual pursuits are innovative and surprising. Schopenhauer is contradicting the opinions of philosophers from previous centuries. Never before in history had a Western thinker held intellectual pursuits in such a low regard. Aristotle (384-322 BC) must have turned in his grave when learning about Schopenhauer’s views on intellectual pursuits. I share Aristotle’s profound appreciation for intellectual pursuits, and this is why I want to clarify here Schopenhauer’s views on this matter. For Aristotle, it was highly desirable to devote oneself to all sorts of intellectual inquiry. He regarded reason (defined as the ability to employ logic) as a uniquely human characteristic. It’s in your interest to exert your logical ability every single day. Aristotle didn’t perceive any danger in the exercise of logic, or in the pursuit of knowledge. In his “Nicomachean Ethics,” he rates those elements as essential for human flourishing, that is, essential for human happiness. Schopenhauer discarded Aristotle’s views on this matter. He found that Aristotle was overlooking the risk inherent in wrong or worthless knowledge. “The world as will and representation” (1818) and “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851) contain Schopenhauer’s warnings in this area: intellectual pursuits that raise one’s self-awareness and self-reliance are beneficial; on the other hand, those that increase dissatisfaction and frustration should be avoided. Schopenhauer disagreed with Aristotle’s unreserved love for intellectual pursuits. He rejected Aristotle’s blanket praise for research and learning. Aristotle was wrong, he argued, because intellectual pursuits are just tools for achieving an objective. If the objective is detrimental, so are the intellectual pursuits. For Schopenhauer, all living creatures are driven by the will (“life force”); the will pushes them to ensure their reproduction and survival, and to seek pleasure without considering the cost and risks involved. Happiness requires counteracting the will. Schopenhauer is giving recommendations in “Parerga and Paralipomena.” He is warning readers against the short-term thinking imposed by the will, and calling them to develop prudence and foresight. Aristotle had implicitly accepted that humans can choose to think or not to think. They can freely decide to exercise reason or not. Schopenhauer goes a step back because he assumes that humans are routinely choosing not to think. Unless people grow self-aware, argues Schopenhauer, they are going to be controlled by the will. Unless they adopt strong measures to counteract the will, they are going to focus on the short term and suffer the long-term consequences. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/analysis-of-schopenhauers-views-on-intellectual-pursuits/