Was Schopenhauer a Pessimist?
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The philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer has often been cited as a textbook example of philosophical pessimism. Yet, strangely enough, Schopenhauer himself never refers to either himself, or his writings, as pessimistic. Even stranger, Schopenhauer has often been called a hypocrite for having a pessimistic philosophy while also enjoying fine dining in Frankfurt restaurants, frequent trips to the opera, and affairs with women. As Nietzsche famously remarked (in Beyond Good and Evil), he played the flute every night -- is this a pessimist? In this video we take a dive into Schopenhauer's main work, The World as Will and Representation, and we find out if he can be truly called a "pessimist"... and in what sense.
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