Schopenhauer's philosophy: voluntarism and aimlessness of human life

The predecessors of Arthur Schopenhauer argued about the meaning of human existence, asking the question: "For what purpose do we live?" Some argued that the goal of a person's life is to believe in God, others talked about the development of nature, while others persuaded his contemporaries that the meaning of life is the need to find peace, and some even dared to say that the goal of life is to search for it in an eternal way.

Illusion of a vital goal

What is unusual is the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer? The fact is that he was the first to declare the senseless existence of man. We live our lives in turmoil, eternal chaos, in small problems and die, without even having time to look back and see what was done in life. What we call the goal of life, just satisfaction of their own small desires, the achievement of which increases self-esteem and makes us more lustful. Happiness, about which we talk so much, as the meaning of life, is unattainable. The constant fear of death and the thought of a short life does not allow us to relax and feel happiness. Schopenhauer's philosophy suggests that we only create his illusion, thanks to religion and faith in the life goal. Arthur Schopenhauer, whose philosophy was based on the principles of voluntarism, became one of the founders of this trend in Germany. Its essence is that no one manages the world, God, as the religion claims, does not protect us or patronize us. However sad it may sound, but the world is controlled by chaos - uncontrollable, unaffordable to any logical calculations. Even the human mind is not capable of subduing chaos. Only will, human will and desire are the force that moves chaos.

"Life is suffering, for the cause of suffering is our desire"

This principle is the basis of the Buddhist teaching, because everyone remembers their ascetic life. The philosophy of Schopenhauer says: following on about our desires, we do not get a sense of happiness. Even reaching their accomplishment, a person does not feel Majesty, but only the devastation of the soul. Much worse, if the accomplishment of the desire to achieve and did not succeed, and thoughts about it bring us suffering. And from what, in fact, is our life? From desires to be near to someone, to find something, to buy the necessary thing ...

Suffering from the loss of the person we need, because we want to be with him, touch him, look in the eyes.

The philosophy of Schopenhauer finds a way out of suffering: renunciation of desires. Asceticism, preached by Buddhists, asserts that having got rid of the ability to desire, we are immersed in the state of nirvana. In other words, in a state called "nothing." In nirvana, there is nothing, nothing is being done, and you do not want anything. But again the question: "How can a living person stop wanting?" After all, the power that moves humanity, makes us rise in the morning from bed, and this is also a will, a desire. What will remain in the world if a person stops wanting? What will happen to the world?

The philosophy of Schopenhauer offers to train yourself and practice meditation, as a way of renouncing desires. Meditation helps only for a while to plunge into the state of the so-called "nirvana." But if you ask a Buddhist monk: "Have you managed to renounce the ability to desire?" Hardly sincerely answer this question. After all, the fact that a person does not exercise his desires does not mean that he ceases to desire ...