Treatises on Dialectics
The Complete Works of Schopenhauer Book 19 · Continental Press
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About this ebook
"Schopenhauer is the last great Western philosopher who could still think metaphysically." Heidegger In this work, Schopenhauer develops a sophisticated critique of dialectical reasoning, particularly targeting the prevailing Hegelian dialectical method that dominated German philosophical thought during his time. He views dialectics not as a productive method of philosophical discovery, but rather as a sophisticated form of rhetorical manipulation that often obscures truth rather than revealing it. Central to Schopenhauer's analysis is his deep skepticism about the ability of dialectical reasoning to uncover genuine philosophical insights. He argues that many philosophical debates are fundamentally exercises in intellectual sophistry, where philosophers construct elaborate arguments more concerned with winning intellectual disputes than with pursuing truth. Schopenhauer sees dialectical reasoning as a kind of intellectual game, where participants become more invested in the rhetorical triumph of their arguments than in the substantive philosophical understanding that should be the ultimate goal of philosophical inquiry. This critique stems from his broader philosophical perspective, which emphasizes direct intuitive understanding over abstract systematic reasoning. The treatises also reflect Schopenhauer's unique philosophical methodology, which prioritizes direct experience and introspective insight over complex logical constructions. He proposes that true philosophical understanding emerges not through intricate dialectical arguments, but through a more immediate, phenomenological approach to comprehending human experience. By dismantling the pretensions of dialectical reasoning, Schopenhauer challenges his contemporaries to adopt a more honest, transparent, and experientially grounded approach to philosophical investigation. His work anticipates later philosophical movements that would similarly critique overly systematic approaches to philosophical thought, including existentialism and phenomenology, making the "Treatises on Dialectics" a significant contribution to the development of modern philosophical discourse. This modern translation from the original German manuscript breathes new life into Schopenhauer's historically important manuscript. Schopenhauer, generally speaking, has been accessible only to academics and serious lay philosophers, yet his philosophy is critically important to understanding the more famous philosophers of the 20th century, most notably Nietzsche. This new Reader's Edition introduces Schopenhauer's original work in context, with an illuminating Afterword explaining his philosophic project, the historical mileau he exists within, and his impact on the modern world. This is accompanied by a timeline of his life and works, an index of philosophic terminology he uses, and a short biography.
About the author
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) was a German philosopher whose pessimistic worldview and emphasis on the primacy of will over reason had a profound influence on later philosophical and literary thought. Born into a wealthy merchant family in Danzig, he developed his central philosophical system around the idea that reality has two aspects: the world as representation (our experience of the phenomenal world) and the world as will (the underlying, irrational force that drives all existence). In his magnum opus, The World as Will and Representation (1818), he argued that human life is essentially suffering, driven by an insatiable will-to-live that can never be permanently satisfied. Drawing heavily from Kant's transcendental idealism and Eastern philosophy, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism, Schopenhauer proposed that temporary escape from suffering could be achieved through aesthetic contemplation, and ultimately through the denial of the will to live. Though his ideas were initially overlooked during his lifetime, they later gained significant recognition, influencing major thinkers such as Nietzsche, Wagner and Freud, as well as writers including Tolstoy and Thomas Mann. This established Schopenhauer as one of the most important philosophers of the 19th century.
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