Refutation of Schopenhauer’s views on love and relationships

The ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) on love and relationships contain fundamental mistakes. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer did not devote to these matters sufficient attention. As a result, his observations and conclusions leave a lot to be desired. His conception of love and relationships is instinctual. They are driven by the Will (“life force”), argues Schopenhauer, and this explains why people behave erratically when they fall in love. The Will prompts them to pursue the beloved at any cost, and without thinking of the long-term consequences. Schopenhauer drew the wrong conclusion and rated all love relationships as doomed. He assumed that the dire influence of the will could not be counteracted and corrected, while in other areas, he had devised sound strategies to address exactly those same problems. A strong refutation of Schopenhauer’s romantic pessimism can be found in the works of the Ancient Roman author Ovid (43 BC–17 AD). His work “The art of love” addresses all the issues identified by Schopenhauer and offers proven solutions. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/refutation-of-schopenhauers-views-on-love-and-relationships/