Introduction to Schopenhauer: Schopenhauer's Ethics

In this lecture we look at what it means for us as human beings to manifestations of will, and investigate how Schopenhauer thought this knowledge should influence how we live.
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Recommended Readings:

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[gobblox]

I had a philosophy class that ended on Schopenhauer.  Most of my fellow students thought that it was bad to end on him because it seems like a downer, but not me.  I experimented with the philosophy and watched my depression evaporate into nothing.  I encourage others to study Schopenhauer, especially those that I know have had a hard life.

[paulohyp]

When reading Schopenhauer, I was in the beginning of my depression, it got worse, but I just could not stop reading it, because everything he says makes sense!

Life is not pretty, we are constantly mislead by the media/Hollywood that everything has a happy ending...

In several occasions I was surprised to find that I had come to the same conclusions that him.

He is my favorite philosopher by far.

[brucekern]

My favorite synthesis of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche is Carl Jung. Jung's idea of shadow projection onto the "other" perfectly illuminates the inner origin of self vs. other antagonisms. As a projection of this shadow--this thing lurking in me that I prefer to see and condemn in you--onto an "other, " who can then be safely and conveniently annihilated, or sacrificed, like any common scape goat, I find that my own personality undergoes an agonizing split. More than any other mundane suffering of mere frustration or dissatisfaction, this basic split induces an intense inner strife and a consequent desire to reintegrate the personality, to experience one's self in its full totality. But in this strife lies a paradox, for the cause is also its own effect: the anxiety of the conflict is the very impetus to projection of one's darkness onto the other, an unconscious strategy which never satiates but instead only maintains and amplifies the conflict. A feedback loop of suffering thus arises. To disrupt this cycle requires becoming conscious of our own undesirable traits, thereby withdrawing the projection of one's darkness from its object in the face of the other. Compassion can only take place in the absence of hypocrisy, which first requires knowledge of one's hypocrisy. There is no compassion in those who condemn in others that which they do themselves. Empathy, the feeling that we suffer together, is at the heart of compassion. Hence the old command to love one's enemy, for in doing so we recognize ourselves as capable of that which we despise. It is thus by reconciling ourselves to those we loathe that we find reconciliation with ourselves, and the source of self-loathing disappears. It's a rather simple task: take an honest inventory of those areas of your life in which you may be a hypocrite, expand your consciousness into that domain by vocalizing or confessing it (speech is a higher form of consciousness than mere recognition), and expand it further by patiently and persistently seeking to reconcile yourself to those whom you may have counted as enemies. Simple but not easy. If you ask who really wants to go to his enemy and in humility make that agonizing expression of his own faults, I can only answer, Those who seek the "peace that passeth all understanding."

Thales, the great pre-socratic Greek philosopher, counted as first among the Seven Wise Men of the ancient world and remembered as the one who calculated the height of the pyramids by measuring their shadow at the same time that his shadow was equal to his own height, was once asked how to live a virtuous life. He had a very simple answer: by not doing ourselves what we blame in others. The wisdom of his answer becomes apparent when you remember that virtue for the ancients referred to a harmonious condition of the soul. That condition is the jewel awaiting those who make reconciliation the overriding passion of their lives.

"I was commanded to love my enemy, and I obeyed, and began loving myself"

[zanhozjan]

I was really big on Nietzsche, but now I'm convinced Schopenhauer is wiser. As a writer, cultural critic and psychologist, Nietzsche is sublime - but he is also very dangerous. His ego-driven philosophy strenghtens your will and thus your suffering in the long term.

Schopenhauer's and Buddha's wisdom is the exact opposite of Nietzsche: it's ego-less. Only when a person aligns himself with the true reality of the world, that is when he realises he means nothing in a grand scheme of things (for his ego is an illusion), is he really free.

[PeterGregoryKelly]

Much of Schopenhauer's thinking seems to resonate with the 4 noble truths of Buddhism. That desire is the beginning of suffering.

[ninjapanda]

I would be great if you gave a reading list at the end of every video. A sort of springboard for further inquiry 

[vee]

Schopenhauer is officially the king of philosophers.

[miscellaneousstuff]

GeorgeK.Lichtenberg said once- Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together. With Arthur Schopenhauer bright points go just one after another. Sence attached to each sentence of his writing. He is genius.

[victoriadombrowski]

The Academy of Ideas is just sheer joy.My two most persistent guides have been Schopenhaur and Gautama, and these ideas in combination with the impeccable choice of Art offers me reasonably long stretches of liberation.Thanks-I needed that!

[lex.cordis]

These videos are excellent! I really feel like my brain is getting a good workout. Feels good! Thanks.

[phibeslives]

Schopenhauer is my favorite philosopher, and the one I relate to the closest.

[kamenprince]

Good ol' Schops with his stark perspectives and unflinching insight despite abject pessimism, first and favourite philosopher I have read, pretty much opened the door to the world of philosophy for me.
I also like how he also went and foretold his own fame in his talks of posterity and whatnot.
Similarly Nietzsche also did as well with his quote "Some men are born posthumously".
As a long time lurker of this channel I felt compelled, by demons and the Will no doubt, to comment and say how great these fantastic videos of yours are! And I'm sure a lot of famous philosophers would approve of these videos too if they were alive today.
Now to wait for a video hopefully on Camus.

[daithiocinnsealach]

"He is ready to annihilate the whole world, in order to maintain his own self, that drop in the ocean, a little longer."

Most YouTube / Facebook arguments.

[indionysus]

Doing great, speaking the points . . . A lot of info in a few words . . . a king of teaching

[GreyWind]

My mind: time to deny the will.

My body: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[thelonewanderer]

“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone, " - Blaise pascal.

[tofa]

A very good job explaining complex ideas in very simple terms to any interested beginner; however, to appreciate Schopenhauer must read him directly, Schopenhauer is 'un-summarize-able'. And even though he wrote about pessimism and human suffering, misery, etc... reading Schopenhauer, there is an underlying sense of humor, making fun & mocking the beliefs of the human animal in general... a burlesque attitude towards dogma, arrogance, superstition, and unfounded beliefs; no wonder he wasn't favored by establishment theoreticians, and was shunned for a long while... in essence he makes one question everything and think for oneself.

[jgigas]

Omg that's beautiful, "genius is the intellect that has become unfaithful to it's destiny." Its a damn shame we aren't all geniuses even though given the human consciousness apparatus it seems denial of the will to live/truth seeking is it's sole design.

[mouwersor]

Literally buddhism minus the reincarnation

[grosbeak]

Thank you your YouTube channel and discussion of different philosophers I find to be the most helpful.