Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860–1900
Frederick C. Beiser
Abstract
This book is a survey of pessimism in German philosophy in the second half of the 19th century. Pessimism, broadly defined, is the doctrine that life is not worth living. The first chapter is a discussion of Schopenhauer’s influence. Chapters 2-4 offer a brief introduction to Schopenhauer’s philosophy, especially his pessimism. Chapter 5 deals with a much neglected figure: Julius Frӓuenstadt, who played a crucial role in the dissemination of Schopenhauer’s philosophy. Chapter 6 is a discussion of another neglected figure: Eugen Dühring, who was the major critic of pessimism during this period. ... More
This book is a survey of pessimism in German philosophy in the second half of the 19th century. Pessimism, broadly defined, is the doctrine that life is not worth living. The first chapter is a discussion of Schopenhauer’s influence. Chapters 2-4 offer a brief introduction to Schopenhauer’s philosophy, especially his pessimism. Chapter 5 deals with a much neglected figure: Julius Frӓuenstadt, who played a crucial role in the dissemination of Schopenhauer’s philosophy. Chapter 6 is a discussion of another neglected figure: Eugen Dühring, who was the major critic of pessimism during this period. Chapter 7 treats Eduard von Hartmann, one of the most famous philosophers of his age and a leading pessimist. Chapter 8 examines the pessimism controversy itself, attempting to explain the issues involved in it. Chapter 9 treats the philosophy of Phillip Mainlӓnder, who was the most radical pessimist of his era. Chapter 10 deals with the tragic worldview of Julius Bahnsen, another radical pessimist.
Keywords:
Pessimism,
optimism,
problem of evil,
puzzle of existence,
identity crisis,
Weltschmerz,
Zeitgeist,
meaning of life
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780198768715 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: June 2016 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198768715.001.0001 |
