JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of sixteen books, including “When everything fails, try this” (2009), “Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010), “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012), “Rational living, rational working” (2013), “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief” (2014), “On becoming unbreakable” (2015), “Thriving in difficult times” (2016), “Causality: Aristotle’s life and ideas” (2024), “Foresight: Schopenhauer’s life and ideas” (2024), and "Constancy: Michel de Montaigne's life and ideas" (2025).
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JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of sixteen books, including “When everything fails, try this” (2009), “Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010), “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012), “Rational living, rational working” (2013), “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief” (2014), “On becoming unbreakable” (2015), “Thriving in difficult times” (2016), “Causality: Aristotle’s life and ideas” (2024), “Foresight: Schopenhauer’s life and ideas” (2024), and "Constancy: Michel de Montaigne's life and ideas" (2025).
The key concepts in the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) connect it to Ancient Stoicism and existentialism. Let us pass review to those concepts, which Schopenhauer first outlined in “The world as will and representation,” a book that he published in 1818. Schopenhauer built his philosophy around the theory of the will (“life force”). He viewed the will as the driver of all living creatures. It is a wild, irrational, eternal driver that prompts all creatures to secure their survival and reproduction, and to seek pleasure. The problem with the will is that it doesn’t assess any long-term consequences. It pushes individuals relentlessly to pursue short-term goals without considering the cost and risks. If you fail to become self-aware and adopt countermeasures, the will is going to take control of your life. Schopenhauer’s concept of the will is similar to the concept of fate in Ancient Stoicism. The writings of Seneca (4-65 AD) and Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) present fate as irresistible, overwhelming and uncontrollable. In terms of metaphysics, the most important concept from Schopenhauer’s books is the primacy position given to the will. In his early book “On the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason” (1814), Schopenhauer had argued that every event has a traceable cause. Subsequently, he acknowledged that the will has not because it is itself the underlying cause of all other phenomena. The Ancient Stoics recommend leading a virtuous life as the best way to enjoy one’s time on earth. Virtue averts suffering and enables happiness, even if nobody has the power to extend his own life beyond the lifespan determined by fate. Schopenhauer’s concept of the good life also entails virtue, but calls for adopting countermeasures against the will. Seneca and Marcus Aurelius had regarded fate as overwhelming, but not Schopenhauer. He considered it feasible to grow self-aware and adopt measures to minimise the influence of the will. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-key-concepts/
John Vespasian
JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of sixteen books, including “When everything fails, try this” (2009), “Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010), “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012), “Rational living, rational working” (2013), “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief” (2014), “On becoming unbreakable” (2015), “Thriving in difficult times” (2016), “Causality: Aristotle’s life and ideas” (2024), “Foresight: Schopenhauer’s life and ideas” (2024), and "Constancy: Michel de Montaigne's life and ideas" (2025).
