Episode 30: Schopenhauer on Pessimism

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/72/8e/61/728e6167-0503-384a-e0c4-b8320e7330ae/mza_15508873169190800102.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

In the Beginning, there was ... Philosophy.

Friedel Weinert (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Bradford)

33 episodes

15 hours ago

These podcasts are devoted to selected topics in Political Philosophy, and the History and Philosophy of the Natural and Social Sciences. In the Introduction I explain that my starting point is philosophical problems, rather than, say, the history of great thinkers. Each episode of Political Philosophy deals one topical issue: The issue of Power; the notion of (Republican) Liberty and the problem of Social Justice and the contrast between Open and Closed Societies Episodes in History and Philosophy of science will deal with the notion of time, scientific revolutions and the nature of science.

Philosophy

Society & Culture

RSS

All content for In the Beginning, there was ... Philosophy. is the property of Friedel Weinert (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Bradford) and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Philosophy

Society & Culture

https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/40410718/40410718-1759669929050-bcb8f8e42a3c4.jpg

Episode 30: Schopenhauer on Pessimism

In the Beginning, there was ... Philosophy.

13 minutes 25 seconds

2 weeks ago

Episode 30: Schopenhauer on Pessimism

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) is famous, amongst other things, for his negative outlook on life and human nature. His pessimism was partly due to his experience of human misery and his revolt against slavery; it was also partly due to his philosophy of the Will. He saw the Will as the blind driving force of human actions and behaviour. As humans have no control over the Will, their actions are not free. Schopenhauer, who was a brilliant prose writer, argues that our characters are unchangeable. There is no freedom of the Will. He was a virulent opponent of the obscurantism of German Idealism (Hegel, Fichte, Schelling) and a champion of clear language. Although he lived in the shadow of Hegel (and other German idealists) his ideas have influenced the likes of Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Freud and Einstein. Karl Popper counted him amongst the great philosophers.

Literature:

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.