Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims (Great Books in Philosophy) [Paperback]

Arthur Schopenhauer (Author), T. Bailey Saunders (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

Nineteenth-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) championed individual strength of will and independent, reasoned deliberation above the irrational impulses that animated most of society. In "The Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims", two essays from his last work, "Parerga und Paralipomena" (1851), he discusses how to order our lives to obtain the greatest amount of pleasure and success; then he offers guidelines for living life to its fullest. But for Schopenhauer a life well lived should always reach beyond itself to a higher plane.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

About the Author

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788?1860) was a German philosopher known for his atheistic pessimism and philosophical clarity. At age 25, he published his doctoral dissertation, On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason, which examined the fundamental question of whether reason alone can unlock answers about the world. Schopenhauer's most influential work, The World as Will and Representation, emphasized the role of man's basic motivation, which Schopenhauer called will. His analysis of will led him to the conclusion that emotional, physical, and sexual desires can never be fulfilled. Consequently, he favored a lifestyle of negating human desires, similar to the teachings of ancient Greek Stoic philosophers, Buddhism, and Vedanta. Schopenhauer's metaphysical analysis of will, his views on human motivation and desire, and his aphoristic writing style influenced many well-known thinkers including Friedrich Nietzsche, Richard Wagner, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Erwin Schrödinger, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Otto Rank, Carl Gustav Jung, and Jorge Luis Borges.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573920339
• ISBN-13: 978-1573920339
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #980,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written, but not for the tender-skinned., November 9, 2001

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"pamlm" (Cuyahoga Falls, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims (Great Books in Philosophy) (Paperback)

I have to disagree with the other review I read on this work. I prefer Schopenhauer's 'pessimism' (which by the way, is written with great wit and humor and had me laughing quite a bit) to Nietzsche's destructive, puffed-up idealistic gas. This is not because I think pessimism is a good thing taken by itself, but rather that there are a great many things in life that SHOULD be avoided. I will say, however, that I think those who enjoy Nietzsche will have a true appreciation for this book (Nietzsche was deeply unfluenced by S.). He discusses an array of subjects, such as the emptiness of those things commonly pursued by the masses (money, status/position, vanity, sensual pleasure, etc.), and those most commonly ignored by most (temperance, good health, character, individuality, and developing one's mind). It is an eye-opener for people absorbed in their careers entrenched in the politics and daily grind of life.

Though riddled with hard-nosed realism and misanthropy, the book was positively entertaining and enjoyable. His style is fluid, prosaic, and imaginitive, unlike most German philosophy. In lieu of modern world events, it is probably more relevant a work today than ever before.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Schopenhauer as an exemplar, July 15, 2003

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Ryan M. Ottavio (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims (Great Books in Philosophy) (Paperback)

"Philosophy" is often refered to as a field of study in which questions regarding the nature of reality, beauty and man are taken up with vigor. Those who are interested in these topics and all of their tributary subjects are said to be "philosophers" or "philosophical" in nature. Others, whose concerns are strictly material, are considered to be "unphilosophical" in nature. They have no philosophical disposition towards anything: it is as if their behavior is guided by their immediate circumstances and that they are prey to interests that are common and trite. It is this very distinction between the "philosophical" and "unphilosophical" that I wish to refute by appealing to Schopenhauer as an exemplar of what it means to have a philosophy of life.
All of the reviews below adequately convey the merits of the book itself. But what is also important is understanding what this book represents within the context of philosophy itself. And what we discover from reading this book is that even the most vulgar man, a man considered by all measure to be morally and intellectually inept, has a philosophy of life. Schopenhauer was a genius and therefore had the capacity to articulate his thoughts in a powerfully original manner. His outlook on the world stands out from the rest precisely because his intellect is capable of penetrating to the heart of things and describe them in a manner that is at once lucid and compelling. Most of us, however, do not have the mental power nor the luxury of time to express our views on life in general. But I believe this book, when taken as a whole, will help us understand that every life is ultimately guided by a point of view which, underlying all its idiosyncratic characterstics, refers to philosophical assumptions and hence a philosophy of life. In sum, our relation to life is and always will be philosophical in nature. The difference between an ordinary man and Schopenhaure is merely a qualitative one. Schopenhauer's book proves that, and I invite you to see how it does.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happiness is a room furthest from the fire..., December 1, 2008

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Mark Nadja "Literary Outlaw, author *Hardcore... (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims (Paperback)

This slim volume offers sage advice to anyone enduring the ordeal of life and the vast majority of fools, liars, and backstabbers we must suffer while doing so. Let it be admitted, it's not a book for everyone.

Schopenhauer's general view is summed up thus: Life is hell. Try to find a room furthest from the flames.

If you tend towards a sunnier view of things then you're very likely to find this book by the grandmaster of philosophical pessimism unduly cynical. But if you've pretty much had it with the world and seldom meet a man (or woman) you wouldn't rather see the back of, you'll be delighted to find a fellow traveler and find wit and solace in Schopenhauer's acidic view of this "wonderful gift of life"--a gift we'd just as soon not have been stuck with in the first place.

There's a lot of the Stoic in Schopenhauer and his approach to the "good life" bears more than a passing resemblance to what one finds in Ecclesiastes, which Schopenhauer cites often. But while Schopenhauer doesn't see a whole lot to celebrate in this vale of tears, he doesn't advise gnashing your teeth and acknowledges that some comfort might be taken in each moment that one isn't actively and acutely suffering.

Small, fleeting pleasures notwithstanding, Schopenhauer casts an unflinchingly jaundiced eye on the whole horrible "mistake" mistake of human life and doesn't sweeten the pill any. This isn't a philosophy for pansies. There aren't any metaphysical escapes, any humanistic idealisms, no fantastic leaps of faith--this is a creed for philosophical gladiators.

For its bracing honesty alone, this book deserves its reputation as one of the greatest philosophical manuals of how to best live our lives ever written.