Essays & Aphorisms

Schopenhauer's beliefs about human action are vividly depicted in this collection of his work, Essays and Aphorisms (Penguin Classics). His view represents that it is the will of the mind and not reason that develops into human action, while the wish for physical existence fuels the desire to perform actions. Taking his philosophies as seen in his work, Parerga and Paralipomena, the essays are related to politics, women, religion, suicide and ethics. These theme are mainly constituted in this work of Schopenhauer and encapsulate his theory of a Godless world.
His work is a representation of a world where art and culture are the primary forces and each person is shown to be free from the bonds of religion. His view is that a struggle is underway, wherein humanity is trying to find a way out of the struggle between good and evil. Schopenhauer's philosophy has had a great impact on many future philosophers such as Nietzsche and Wittgenstein. He believed that culture, art, morality and awareness of the world are the only way to preserve and protect.