Schopenhauer's Aesthetics Notes

Author: Arthur Schopenhauer (Germany), translated by Wei Qichang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), born in Danzig, was known as the pessimistic philosopher. He claimed, "My character was inherited from my father, while my wisdom was inherited from my mother." The Sketches of Schopenhauer's Aesthetics selects 12 articles from Volume II and Volume V of The Collected Works of Schopenhauer that are closely related to daily life: On Thinking, On Reading and Books, On History, On Literature, On Language and Language Learning, On Writing and Style, On Judgment, Criticism, and Fame, On Scholars and Erudition, etc. Schopenhauer, with his accurate judgment, profound thinking, simple and unadorned writing style, and honest and natural approach, elaborates on his understanding of these issues. His arguments, though made about 200 years ago, still bring a fresh and natural breeze, as if he were "pinpointing the problems of the times." In On Reading and Books, Schopenhauer said, "Bad things are too much even if read little, while good works are too little even if read much." "One of the prerequisites for reading good books is not to read bad books, because life is short, and time and energy are extremely limited." "There is nothing more refreshing than reading ancient classics." The Writings and Essays on Schopenhauer's Thought selects 12 articles from Appendix and Additions and The World as Will and Representation (Volume 2): On Thinking, On Reading and Books, On Literature, On History, On Language and Language Learning, Metaphors and Fables, On Judgment, Criticism, and Fame, On Scholars and Erudition, On the Beauty of Nature, On Music, On Writing and Text, On Death. In these articles, Schopenhauer discusses common themes in daily life, using language that is natural and everyday. With his accurate judgment and profound thinking, Schopenhauer deeply elaborates on his understanding of these issues. In On Thinking, he said, "Only what is deeply thought about can become our true knowledge," and "Only one's fundamental ideas can have truth and vitality." He opposed extensive reading, believing that the of thoughts into our minds will never automatically become a unified whole of thoughts, ideas, and beliefs, easily leading to Babylonian-style linguistic chaos. In On Reading and Books, he pointed out, "Bad things are too much even if read little, while good works are too little even if read much." "One of the prerequisites for reading good books is not to read bad books, because life is short, and time and energy are extremely limited." He criticized people for always reading the new rather than the best books of all times, advocating that "There is nothing more refreshing than reading ancient classics." He detested the Hegelian writing style and promoted a style that was "substantive," "simple and unadorned," and "honest and natural." Many of his arguments in the book are now 200 years old, yet they still bring a fresh and natural breeze, as if he were "pinpointing the problems of the times." His profound thoughts have explained the meaning of "timeless and enduring."