Arthur Schopenhauer

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This biography offers an in-depth look at Arthur Schopenhauer, a significant figure in nineteenth-century philosophy, focusing on both his life and work. Rudiger Safranski situates Schopenhauer within the context of his philosophical predecessors and contemporaries, such as Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, while examining the roots of his deep alienation from their rationalist ideals. The narrative unfolds like a Romantic novel, detailing Schopenhauer's struggles against a domineering father, his complex relationship with his successful mother, a noted writer in Goethe's Weimar circle, and the loneliness he faced when his major work, The World as Will and Representation, was largely overlooked by the academic community. Safranski also captures the vibrant cultural milieu of Goethe's Weimar and Hegel's Berlin, alongside other centers of German intellectual life. Initially, Schopenhauer's philosophy of "weeping and gnashing of teeth" garnered little attention during the Romantic idealism era. However, following the disillusionments of 1848, his ideas were revisited by philosophers and writers, influencing figures from Nietzsche to Samuel Beckett. This first English biography of Schopenhauer in the 21st century vividly portrays an intriguing philosopher and the intellectual conflicts of his time, whose impact continues to resonate today.