Schopenhauer
A Biography

This is the first comprehensive biography of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) written in English.

David E. Cartwright (Author)

9781107626959, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 January 2014

600 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 3.4 cm, 0.87 kg

'Cartwright does not shy away from presenting Schopenhauer's flaws as well as his good points … Perhaps the most attractive features of Schopenhauer are his passion for the truth, his hatred of obscurantism, and the grace, humor, and clarity of his writing. Cartwright's biography honors its subject by sharing in all these virtues.' Journal of the History of Philosophy

In his quest to solve 'the ever-disquieting riddle of existence', Schopenhauer explored almost every dimension of human existence, developing a darkly compelling worldview that found deep resonance in contemporary literature, music, philosophy, and psychology. This is the first comprehensive biography of Schopenhauer written in English. Placing him in his historical and philosophical contexts, David E. Cartwright tells the story of Schopenhauer's life to convey the full range of his philosophy. He offers a fully documented portrait in which he explores Schopenhauer's fractured family life, his early formative influences, his critical loyalty to Kant, his personal interactions with Fichte and Goethe, his ambivalent relationship with Schelling, his contempt for Hegel, his struggle to make his philosophy known, and his reaction to his late-arriving fame.

1. The affirmation of the will
2. A tour for a trade
3. A father's death, a philosopher's birth
4. The university years
5. The better consciousness, causes, grounds, and confrontations
6. Goethe, colors, and eastern lights
7. The single thought of Dresden
8. Failure in Berlin
9. Ich bin kein Berliner
10. The Frankfurt philosopher
11. The dawn of fame and the end of life.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], History of Western philosophy [HPC]