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Feb 18, 2026 5 min

Schopenhauer on psychology

from John Vespasian Hosted by John Vespasian

Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) did not believe that real-life #problems can be solved through psychological tricks. The purpose of #philosophy is to understand the world, so that one can take real action to solve real problems. Although Schopenhauer made contributions to #psychology , his focus was on philosophy. He never lost sight of his primary goal, namely, to identify the principles driving the cosmos in general, and #humannature in particular. In his book “The world as will and representation” (1918), Schopenhauer argued that living entities are driven by a blind, #irrational force that he called “the will.” The theory of the will (“life force”) maintains that humans are driven to ensure survival, reproduction and seek short-term #pleasure without thinking of the cost or the consequences. The will can be counteracted through prudence, #foresight , and #riskreduction , but those measures require steady dedication. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauer-on-psychology/

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Schopenhauer on psychology

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