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EPISODE · Feb 25, 2026 · 6 MIN

Schopenhauer on ethics

from John Vespasian · host John Vespasian

The ethics system proposed by Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) is similar to Ancient #stoicism in some aspects, but offers more complex explanations on the workings of nature, society, and human motivation. Schopenhauer theorised that life is fundamentally marked by the influence of the will (“life force”) which will generate a large amount of suffering and dissatisfaction if you fail to take countermeasures. The theory of the will was put forward by Schopenhauer in his work “The world as will and representation” (1818); people are subjected to the influence of the will, driven to ensure their survival, reproduction, and seek short-term pleasure. According to Schopenhauer, the will is prompting humans to continual struggle. It generates more and more #desires that cannot all be satisfied. The way to #happiness entails two steps. First, you should grow self-aware of the influence of the will. This means, paying attention to your motivation, goals and desires, see if they make sense, and assess their costs. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauer-on-ethics/

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