Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860-1900Weltschmerz is a study of the pessimism that dominated German philosophy in the second half of the nineteenth century. Pessimism was essentially the theory that life is not worth living. This theory was introduced into German philosophy by Schopenhauer, whose philosophy became very fashionable in the 1860s. Frederick C. Beiser examines the intense and long controversy that arose from Schopenhauer's pessimism, which changed the agenda of philosophy in Germany away from the logic of the sciences and toward an examination of the value of life. He examines the major defenders of pessimism (Philipp Mainländer, Eduard von Hartmann and Julius Bahnsen) and its chief critics, especially Eugen Dühring and the neo-Kantians. The pessimism dispute of the second half of the century has been largely ignored in secondary literature and this book is a first attempt since the 1880s to re-examine it and to analyze the important philosophical issues raised by it. The dispute concerned the most fundamental philosophical issue of them all: whether life is worth living. |
Contents
| 1 | |
The Schopenhauer Legacy | 13 |
Reconstructing Schopenhauers Metaphysics | 25 |
Schopenhauers Pessimism | 43 |
The Illusion of Redemption | 52 |
Julius Frauenstädt Apostle and Critic | 67 |
The Optimism of Eugen Dühring | 87 |
The Optimistic Pessimism of Eduard Von Hartmann | 122 |
The Pessimism Controversy 18701890 | 162 |
Mainländers Philosophy of Redemption | 201 |
The Pessimistic Worldview of Julius Bahnsen | 229 |
| 285 | |
| 297 | |
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Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860-1900 Frederick C. Beiser No preview available - 2018 |
Common terms and phrases
according aesthetic appeared argues argument Arthur Schopenhauer believed Berlin chapter Christian concept contradiction cosmic critics critique death deny doctrine Duncker edition Eduard von Hartmann egoism essence ethics eudemonic Eugen Dühring evil and suffering existence experience explain feeling Geschichte happiness Haym Hegel Hegelian human hypostasis idea idealist important individual insists intellect Julius Bahnsen Julius Frauenstädt Kant Kant’s knowledge Kuno Fischer Leipzig logic Mainländer means metaphysics monism moral nature neo-Kantians Nietzsche nothingness object Optimism of Eugen pantheism Pessimism Controversy Pessimismus Pessimistic Worldview Philipp Mainländer Philosophie der Erlösung Philosophie des Unbewussten Philosophische pleasure and pain Plümacher political positivist principle problem question quietism real dialectic realism reality realm reason religion representation Schelling Schopenhauer’s pessimism Schopenhauer’s philosophy Schopenhauerian self-conscious social Stoic stressed striving suicide Taubert theism theory thesis thing-in-itself things things-in-themselves thinking tion transcendent transcendental idealism Vorstellung Welt Weltschmerz Werth des Lebens Worldview of Julius worth living