Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher that achieved fame for his thoughts regarding atheism and pessimism. He was born in the town of Schopenhauer, near Berlin. His reputation as a pessimist throughout the Western intellectual-based tradition grew due to his contributions to this field. Schopenhauer believed that individuals or human beings could not reach decisive judgments about the functioning of the human-based brain or the circumstances that impact its development.
Moreover, he thought that people would become subject to various sorts of agony from the time of their conception until their death, which was supported by his assumptions. As people grow older, they learn that most of the stuff they desire brings them misery (Schopenhauer, 2020). For example, in some cases, as individuals pursue their objectives, they quickly recognize that achieving those objectives will need effort and time. Thus, much to their disappointment, they realize that the pleasure they have gained is not worthwhile and stays at most temporary. According to Arthur Schopenhauer, people experience pain in practically every activity they engage in, such as executing routines that they have become accustomed to as individuals (Janaway, 2017). It is essential to understand everything portrayed by the philosopher.
I believe Arthur Schopenhauer understands that suffering exceeds or outweighs the overall pleasures of existence. This act is evident because he argues that pain is a byproduct of humans pursuing the simple pleasures within li (Schopenhauer, 2020). Schopenhauer says that “unless suffering became the immediate and obvious objective of life, human life would have significantly failed to meet its overall goal” (Schopenhauer, 2020, p. 11). Therefore through this phrase, I suppose that Schopenhauer suggested that tragedy and sorrow ate conventions instead of aspirations of humankind. This notion disagrees with the arguments of other philosophers since he seeks to argue that suffering is a natural and pervasive occurrence. I feel that this idea is clear in circumstances when pleasure or satisfaction often includes the momentary respite of specific events of sorrow or agony. For example, when someone is sick or ill, the act of taking medication assists to lessen the suffering that someone would be feeling, thereby offering some proven degree of pleasure.
Additionaly, once it has been encountered, the actuality of pleasure is seldom as pleasant as expected. For example, many of us wish to become rich community members. Unfortunately, if we grow wealthy, the possibility of experiencing tremendous problems as time develops is enhanced substantially (Klemke & Cahn, 2017). Schopenhauer advises individuals to examine the different emotions of two distinct animals whereby one is interested in consuming the other animal. Consequently, the mentioned philosopher also believes that “individuals are much like sheep throughout the meadow, groveling themselves under the gaze of the butcher, who chooses sheep sequentially as his food source” (Schopenhauer, 2020, p. 87). I believe that through this remark, Schopenhauer seeks to explain that exactly like sheep grazing in the field, unconscious of their shepherd’s desire to butcher them, humans are completely unaware or clueless of the tragedies of destiny that they have been doomed to endure throughout the days ahead. These atrocities may involve injuries, illnesses, starvation, and poverty.
Another analogy that I embrace or believe illustrates his view of human misery or suffering would be that time progresses, and nobody can halt it since it only ceases when individuals get frustrated. As Schopenhauer argues, there is simply pain and misery worldwide for anyone to believe or trust in an overall All-Good God (Schopenhauer, 2020). His next point is that religion would be much less rational or logical than philosophy within its’ pronouncements. Religions’ primary goal is to enforce a metaphysical paradigm on people with a limited aptitude for understanding such facts (Linharnes, 2019). Religious doctrines or teachings might be of some “incalculable worth” to the average individual, but they would merely impart an oblique rather than a straight truth to most individuals’ minds (Linhares, 2019). According to the author, a Christian must reject the idea of God being delighted with our suffering since it conflicts with Christian morality (Schopenhauer, 2020). In my view, no rational person can believe that the entire universe was created by an omnipotent, all-powerful, and intelligent supreme being. In the absence of a supreme creator, evil is a universal condemnation of life and humankind.
I am intrigued by Schopenhauer’s view that love is the biggest illusion and cannot help people find meaning in their lives. This philosopher believed that the most significant facet of human life was the capacity for intense, self-sacrificial love. In addition, to delve deeper, I think that this philosopher minimizes the sincerity and splendor of love because he views it as an overall phantom (Tuman, 2019). Love, I believe, is an instinct that is molded by a variety of factors, including one’s social environment.
Sadly, love seems a constant source of pain and heartbreak for most individuals. This notion is more sure since it disrupts their pre-planned routines. When it comes to people of the future, they see the enthusiasm with which they want to continue living with romantic-based energy and extreme appreciation (Tuman, 2019). The philosopher maintains that life or existence is only a biological trick that causes everyone to multiply, even though we incorrectly see it as anything noble. As far as Schopenhauer is concerned, romantic ideals are nothing more than a fantasy that would not get realized. This notion is especially true since lovers or couples grow tired of one another and discover that they are no longer compatible throughout the overwhelming majority of instances.
A person’s desires are unchecked as they grow since they do not analyze what is ahead. Thus, suicide is never a concern for Schopenhauer as most individuals cannot carry out suicidal thoughts due to their illogical need to continue living. As a result, I believe that the mentioned philosopher is trying to convey various ideas and notions that highlight the complexity of human existence. People spend a lot of time worrying, laboring and suffering, and this is a famous example. Even if people have all the money in the world, they may not be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Since they are comfortable and unaware of the presence of pain, Schopenhauer appears to feel that all animals are happier than people. Whatever the case could be, it is important to remember that for both humans and non-humans alike, the ultimate goal of pain and pleasure stems from the basic human desire for safety, nourishment, and reproduction. People are more prone to overall satisfaction and need than other species. As a result of their overall ability to contemplate history and the probable future, they are more susceptible to joy and grief. For example, for most of us, long-term planning is a need (Janaway, 2017). The pleasure growth can get facilitated by imagining a future where one becomes wealthy and content (Janaway, 2017). We cannot ignore the reality that once we get older, the likelihood of developing illnesses and passing away unexpectedly increases. Despite Schopenhauer’s warnings about the danger of relying on luxuries, people’s desire for all the wonderful things within life obscures the risks of doing so.
Countering Schopenhauer’s claims that animals are superior to human beings is the point at which the emergence of both humans and other living organisms cannot be justified. For example, there seems to be an upsurge in complaints of animal-based cruelty in today’s culture. As a result, I think that all these creatures are suffering to certain degrees. Certain animals eventually wind up as strays because they know their pain and distress. The arguments of Schopenhauer lose some of their force because of this aspect.
Contemplating over Schopenhauer’s overall intellectual breakthroughs, I believe philosophers underestimate his work. Schopenhauer’s arguments must be taken as a waking-up message towards a more practical vision of human life and overall work on improving it. Therefore in this perspective, his outlook is far from pessimistic. Pain is true, according to Arthur Schopenhauer, and those who claim otherwise are delusional (Tuman, 2019). Humans feel relief once suffering or evilness ends, indicating genuine anguish. Individuals’ expectations are not always satisfied, but that anguish is often intolerable. Even having a lot more money in banks, some individuals endure disappointments involving loss of fortune. Suicide rates have risen throughout America and other countries due to pain, including physical, economic, and psychological (Schopenhauer, 2020). The philosopher try to brings the best in his analysis.
In conclusion, Schopenhauer believes that our complicated mental capacities, including imagination, contribute to human miseries. This act implies we imagine fearful future events, exaggerating them, so we do not have to face them again. Schopenhauer offers pieces of advice. The first piece of advice here is that how we handle others always determines our degree of pleasure or pain. This step is about embracing our friends or fellow humans. Another piece of advice involves our overall style of living. Under this instance, he argues we must regard them as overall penitentiaries, allowing us to adjust our intended expectations.
References
Janaway, C. (2017) Arthur Schopenhauer. In, Emmanuel, Steven (ed.) The Blackwell Guide to Modern Philosophers: From Descartes to Nietzsche. Oxford, GB. Blackwell, pp. 326-342.
Klemke, E. D., & Cahn, S. M. (2017). The Meaning of Life (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Schopenhauer’s Philosophy of Religion and his Critique of German Idealism. (2019). Nicholas R. Linhares. Web.
Schopenhauer, A., & Thacker, E. (2020). On the Suffering of the World. Repeater.
Tuman, M. (2019). The Sensitive Son and the Feminine Ideal in Literature. Palgrave Macmillan.