Arthur Schopenhauer

A collection of the later writings of Arthur Schopenhauer whose “reputation as the bard of pessimism makes him the perfect philosopher for the Covid era” (New York Times).

Schopenhauer’s writings tap into the anxieties of our modern, uncertain world—from climate change and mental health crises to the threat of mass extinction.

Produced during the last decades...

The original edition of The World as Will and Idea appeared in 1818, but in 1844 Schopenhauer published an expanded version. It contained the 'Criticism of the Kantian Philosophy', a lengthy document; and Supplements to the First Book (The Doctrine of the Idea of Perception) and the Second Book (The Doctrine of Perception or Knowledge of the Understanding). The original edition of The World as Will and Idea had been largely ignored, and for 25 frustrating...

In this final part to Schopenhauer's momentous and hugely influential work, his original and wide-ranging observations are as lively as ever. Though cast as a 'pessimist' by history, he is anything but that to read - and listen to. Here are the last supplementary comments his original work (published 1818), the fruit of decades of further reflection. These essays - some fairly substantial - include 'On Instinct and Mechanical Tendency', 'On Genius',...

The two sizeable volumes of Parerga and Paralipomena hold a special place in the output of Arthur Schopenhauer. Parerga means 'supplementary to a main work', and Paralipomena suggests a further supplement, but these two books were anything but a casual addition to his major opus, The World as Will and Idea. For a start, it was the publication of Parerga and Paralipomena in 1851 which brought Schopenhauer to the attention of the general public, decades...