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? The last time I read "My Life", I spent an entire night. I also spent an entire evening reading "The World as Will and Representation" this time. The difference is that the reason I only spent so little time this time was because I simply couldn't understand it.
Speaking of which, "The World as Will and Representation" seems not difficult, and there are only four articles in total. The first part is "A Preliminary Discussion of the World as Representation", the second part is "A Preliminary Discussion of the World as Will", the third part is "A Second Discussion of the World as Representation", and the fourth part is "A Second Discussion of the World as Will", the logic is clear and simple. But I was dumbfounded when I saw the preface, because Schopenhauer announced loudly: "Understanding certain definitions of Kant's philosophy is a prerequisite for understanding this book." Of course I don’t understand Kant. Not many people in the world really understand his thing-in-itself, and there are so many antinomies that are simply confusing. Fortunately, Kant said that human reason is limited and some things will never be understood. In this case, I will apply Kant's theory: my understanding is limited, and it is impossible to understand Schopenhauer.
? I found a beautiful excuse for my stupidity, but... I still want to work hard to get closer to the truth. I'm still curious about how these extremely smart people view life and interpret the world.
? Fortunately, I have Will Durant. Relying on his "The Story of Philosophy", I understood a little bit of what Schopenhauer said in "The World as Will and Representation".
? First of all, Schopenhauer believes that "the world is my representation", so understanding the world must be from the inside out and can only be accomplished through our feelings. In other words, Schopenhauer is an idealist . (If you are a lazy reader who is afraid of logical reasoning like me, you can skip reading the content about subject, object, representation, will, concept and the five relationships between concepts in the first chapter. )
Secondly, the essence of the world is will. What is will? “The will is the only eternal thing in the human mind...through uninterrupted purpose or persistence towards a set goal.” “The will unifies consciousness, holds together all the representations and thoughts of consciousness, and forms with them a single a continuous harmonious whole”. Will is the source of the continuity of a person's thoughts. Character resides in human will. The human body is also a product of the will. The will never tires, even when one is asleep. Will is the essence of man. The will can even defeat death by sacrificing oneself and reproducing offspring. Since will itself means desire, and desire is unlimited and the satisfaction of desire is limited, life is destined to be painful. "Life is like a pendulum, swinging between pain and boredom." "Desire is the source of endless pain for the general public, while boredom is the source of pain for the upper class. For the middle class, rest days represent boredom. The working day represents desire."
Finally, Schopenhauer asserted that "life is actually a tragedy." So, what should we do? Pursue wisdom rather than wealth. "Reason is necessary both internally and externally, and nothing can fully satisfy us than clear knowledge." He suggested that everyone recite poetry, appreciate paintings, listen to music, and convert to religion. He believes that the ultimate wisdom in life is nirvana, which is to reduce one's self to the lowest point of desire and will. He said, "If human life is a hot circular orbit, then we are constantly running on it... Those who see through the principle of individuation... will jump out of the circle and stand outside the circle to look at it as a whole. Hot circular orbit. At this time, his will no longer affirms the phenomenon, but instead denies it all." "When death comes, because death is the phenomenon that dissolves the will, that is, the body, death is a kind of liberation for him, and he will not have any disgust or fear. Here, not only the phenomenon, but also the essence disappears. For those who end up like this, the world will also end.” Therefore, Schopenhauer openly declares at the end of the book: "We should know that "nothing" is the treasure that hangs behind all virtue and holiness... For those transcendent people who have escaped from the imprisonment of the impulsive will, this is The real world in the eyes of ordinary people, including all stars and the Milky Way, is originally "nothing". At the end, Schopenhauer seems to have become a Buddhist. It's a pity that he is not a thorough Buddhist, so he equates nirvana with nothingness and believes that everything turns into nothingness after death. He does not know that there is a wonderful existence in the sky in Buddhism.
So, can we agree with Schopenhauer? Is a good life a lie and death is the greatest gift?
? It reminds me of the time when I first read Schopenhauer's "Desire and Happiness" edited in China, I nodded frequently at the classic sentences in the book. But I clearly remember that I was nodding and wondering at the same time - is everything that exists between life and death really meaningless? But the clouds floating in the sky give me a sense of beauty, and that sense of beauty gives me real pleasure; the beautiful melody also moves me, and that touch also gives me real happiness. Tell me, which one should I believe?
? Thanks to Will Durant.
He said, "A sick body, a neurotic mind, a leisurely but empty life, a melancholy and boring life, all these constitute the physiological basis of Schopenhauer's philosophy." "Schopenhauer advised the world to live a quiet and monotonous life in seclusion. He was afraid of society and could not feel the value and happiness of interpersonal communication. However, if happiness is not shared with others, happiness will not be happiness." "Is happiness negative? Only a soul bruised and isolated from the world can be so profane to life. Happiness is the harmonious operation of instinct... Life itself is a positive force, and every normal function of life can be more or less The land gives people happiness.” As for desire, Durant said, "What should we do if new desires follow after satisfied desires? Perhaps the best way is to never be satisfied." So American, marching forward without hesitation.
? I like Durant’s frankness and optimism, but I cannot deny that there are many reasonable elements in Schopenhauer’s pessimism. Perhaps, for everyone reading, the more important thing is to constantly understand themselves and find their own happiness model, because "in fact, this world is neither our enemy nor our friend, it is just The raw material in our hands. It can be heaven or hell, it all depends on what is within us."
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? 2021/8/28 Yu Lilu