Arthur Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was a pivotal German philosopher best known for his work "The World as Will and Representation" (1818). This seminal text posits that the world is driven by a metaphysical will, a concept that significantly diverged from the rationalist traditions of his time. Schopenhauer's philosophy emphasized pessimism and the primacy of human suffering, which later influenced existential and psychoanalytic thought. In 1836, he published "On the Will in Nature," where he intertwined his philosophical ideas with natural sciences, arguing that will is the underlying force in all of nature. Schopenhauer also made notable contributions to aesthetics and ethics, particularly through his essay collection "Parerga and Paralipomena" (1851), which gained him recognition in the latter part of his life.