Schopenhauer’s views on the nature of evil

The philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) about the nature of evil stands in sharp contrast to other thinkers. For Schopenhauer, evil is a natural phenomenon. It’s the inevitable outcome of the will (“life force”) when left to operate freely. Schopenhauer attributes evil to the life force that prompts all living creatures to secure their survival and reproduction, seek pleasure and maximise short-term gains. This life force doesn’t care about risks, costs, and consequences. According to Schopenhauer, the nature of evil is decoupled from religion. In “The world as will and representation” (1818) and other writings, Schopenhauer opposes the Christian belief that evil has its origin in the human disobedience retold in the first book of the Bible. Christians believe in a benevolent, omnipotent, eternal God that oversees every event in the cosmos. If God wanted to stop evil, he could do it right away, but he allows evil to exist for a greater purpose, namely, giving individuals the freedom to find the right path. Victims of evil can find consolation in Christianity. When a crime or injustice is committed, Christians believe in a higher divine purpose that escapes human comprehension. They view evil as part of God’s overarching plan, from which we can only perceive bits and pieces. While Christianity attributes evil to human actions that don’t follow God’s commandments, Schopenhauer is attributing evil to human inaction. It is crucial to understand this difference. Christians view the world as good by default and evil as the exception. Schopenhauer holds the opposite view: he considers nature as wild, irrational, chaotic and dangerous; harmony and peace come only from rational human action against nature. Schopenhauer is more interested in combating evil than in offering consolation to its victims. He does not see any higher divine purpose in evil. Injury and destruction cause pain, and it is pointless to give them obscure theological interpretations. According to Schopenhauer, efforts should be concentrated on avoiding and minimising evil. His plan of action against the will requires self-awareness. It is up to each individual to learn about the will, notice its influence, and adopt countermeasures. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-views-on-the-nature-of-evil/