Review of 'The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This book takes up the subject of living your best life and what that entails. I was expecting something more morbid and pessimistic but Schopenhauer incorporates a good dose of wry humor as he talks about all the ways people get it wrong when they aim for the ultimate goals in their lives, making this a more easily digestible philosophy book than many others. He is not one of those who is tied up with his reaction to Hegelian dialectic or any other of his predecessors so he does not get bogged down in long-forgotten debates. A reader can also see where he gets this reputation of being influenced by Eastern thought when he does things like mention the Upanishads. I believe he wrote this towards the end of his life, so he is addressing a more mature audience when he talks about leaving a lasting legacy and the durability …
This book takes up the subject of living your best life and what that entails. I was expecting something more morbid and pessimistic but Schopenhauer incorporates a good dose of wry humor as he talks about all the ways people get it wrong when they aim for the ultimate goals in their lives, making this a more easily digestible philosophy book than many others. He is not one of those who is tied up with his reaction to Hegelian dialectic or any other of his predecessors so he does not get bogged down in long-forgotten debates. A reader can also see where he gets this reputation of being influenced by Eastern thought when he does things like mention the Upanishads. I believe he wrote this towards the end of his life, so he is addressing a more mature audience when he talks about leaving a lasting legacy and the durability of fame, which might not be as relevant to a younger reader. He gets especially salty when he talks about how hard it is for someone writing about philosophy to get the respect he may be due, almost certainly due to first-hand experience.
I enjoyed listening to the book, though I think there were a couple of small flaws in pronunciation here and there. The audio medium gave the author's words more personal impact compared to reading words on a page. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to listen to something thoughtful while still accessible to a modern listener.