John Vespasian

The reasons why #philosophy books trace the inception of existentialism to Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860) are rather weak. Nonetheless, they have attained the status of mainstream opinion and deserve a robust refutation. I am going to address the arguments given in philosophy books and refute them one by one. My objective is to bring new light to a question that has been wrongly declared settled...

The question of how you know what you know is far from trivial. #epistemology is the branch of #philosophy dealing with this question. Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860) came up with a unique answer that has influenced later thinkers. In his early years, Schopenhauer had declared allegiance to the epistemological doctrines of #immanuelkant (1724-1804). I am referring to the theory of concept formati...

The life and works of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) are giving us crucial insights on how to achieve happiness. To this end, he devoted years to studying Western and Eastern thinkers and compiling their best recommendations. Then he put them into practice and recorded what works and what doesn’t. Schopenhauer regarded the achievement of #happiness as a sequence of steps. The very first step con...

Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) would have been amused to see philosophers like Jean-Paul #sartre (1905-1980) theorise about #anxiety and personal authenticity. Sartre didn’t regard as self-evident that individuals are aware of their freedom and the need to make constant choices. In contrast to Sartre and other existentialists, Schopenhauer considered self-evident that #happiness is the #purpose...

Although his lifestyle was unpretentious, modesty was not a characteristic of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860). He did not hide that he regarded himself as a genius. He considered other philosophers, with few exceptions, as misguided fools. Why did Schopenhauer consider himself a genius? Surely not because of his productivity. In terms of output, he was not extraordinarily prolific, especially if...

The ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) on love and relationships contain fundamental mistakes. Schopenhauer did not devote sufficient attention to these matters. As a result, his observations and conclusions leave a lot to be desired. His conception of love and relationships is instinctual. They are driven by the will (“life force”), argues Schopenhauer, and this explains why people behave e...

More than two thousand years have passed since Seneca first defined his methods for overcoming anxiety, worry and other negative emotions. The context has changed, but his examples and recommendations remain valid. I am going to summarise those methods, sometimes quoting Seneca’s precise words and examples, and other times, putting the method in the context of our century. For the sake of clarity,...

For the most part, ancient techniques have become obsolete. We no longer use horses and triremes as our principal means of transportation. Neither do we build houses and roads according to the methods employed in Ancient Greece and Rome. However, we can still rely on anti-worry methods conceived by Seneca. Why have they remained effective? Because human nature has not changed since Ancient Rome. T...

I have often observed that insouciant people seldom suffer from worry. They go about their business without thinking long of the consequences, accept setbacks philosophically, and keep trudging ahead despite criticism and opposition. #seneca did not regard insouciance as a valid philosophical stance because it reduces humans to a perceptual level. It makes humans prone to accidents of all sorts be...

We tend to regard time management as a uniquely modern concept, but nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that our ancestors employed more primitive technology did not prevent them from pursuing personal effectiveness. #seneca was not an exception in this respect. After devoting years to philosophical research, he put his ideas down to paper, aiming at producing a large literary output...

History provides excellent examples of the #philosophy put forward by Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860). I can point for instance to the life of #marcusaurelius (121-180 AD) who had favoured living in accordance with nature. Aurelius’ recipe for happiness is understanding the order of the universe and aligning our actions with it; however, when he talked about “the order of the universe,” he was as...

The art of getting things done effectively and inexpensively underlies the philosophy of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860). His theory of the will (“life force”) warns us against the lethal consequences of giving way to our instincts without looking at the cost and at the long-term consequences. How do you protect yourself against the negative influence of the will? Schopenhauer advised parsimony,...

Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860) had unduly pessimistic, gloomy ideas on love and relationships. The study of his ideas in this respect serves an #educational purpose because it enables us to learn from Schopenhauer’s mistakes. Schopenhauer’s theory of the will (“life force”) underlies his views on love and relationships. This theory predicts that the will is constantly driving all living creature...

In terms of chronology, Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860) preceded #sigmundfreud (1856–1939) by two generations. The worlds they inhabited were different, but Freud’s psychological #insights rest upon the #philosophy developed by Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer outlined his philosophy in “The world as will and representation,” a book published in 1818. The theory of the will (“life force”) constitutes t...

In contrast to the fragmentary prescriptions often given by psychologists, Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) aimed at one comprehensive explanation for the world, including all living creatures. In his work “The world as will and representation” (1818), he argues that the will (“life force”) prompts all living creatures to ensure their own survival and reproduction, seeking short-term #pleasure as...

Frankly, I trust proven competent historical figures far more than I trust today’s gurus on self-development. Before adopting any advice, I want to see that it has worked for different people across the centuries. I want to see lots of evidence in favour. #seneca (4 BC – 65 AD) gained significant insights about #timemanagement and his followers have applied those insights with good success. I’m ta...

Despite his remarkable philosophical and literary skills, the Roman author #seneca (4 BC-65 AD) made grievous mistakes in his approach to #timemanagement . I find it important to look at his mistakes because many people keep making those more than twenty centuries after Seneca’s death. What’s the underlying problem in Seneca’s errors about time management? The lack of an integrated view of human a...

When it comes to happiness, I can summarise the ideas of #seneca (4 BC-65 AD) in a few words: On this subject, Seneca knew little, learned nothing, and could not care less. In fact, only his essay “On the Happy Life” revolves primarily around this goal, and the means to attain it. Am I being too harsh with Seneca and #stoicism in general? I don’t think so, but I am going to put forward my argument...

Although #seneca (4 BC-65 AD) never developed a solidly integrated #philosophy of happiness, he did gain some insights that we can apply today. Those #insights are based on #commonsense and have been proven true by the experience of twenty one centuries. Seneca noted that low-key, down-to-earth individuals tend to be happier than ultra-ambitious, bombastic, aggressive ones. He underlined this poin...

Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) had no problem accepting that he was eccentric. In fact, he considered it a privilege to be categorised as an eccentric. He considered it a confirmation of the originality of his ideas. Schopenhauer’s key contribution to #philosophy is the theory of the will, that is, the belief that the will (“life force”) exerts a strong influence on all living creatures. The wil...

In the life of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860), I’ve named the last two decades “the illustrious years.” During those two decades, Schopenhauer enjoyed the status of a minor celebrity in German-speaking territories. Schopenhauer published “The art of debate” (sometimes translated as “The art of controversy”) in 1839. He had turned fifty-one and was continuing with his strategy of publishing as ma...

Even for a genius like Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860), it’s far from self-evident to define success; the feeling of #achievement will wane fairly quickly if people are admiring you for reasons that have little to do with your life’s purpose. Schopenhauer started to experience #success in 1830. He was already forty-two years old and had spent decades in obscurity, despite his remarkable work. As...

The struggling decade in the life of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) encompasses the period between 1817 and 1827, that is, the year he had devoted to writing “The world as will and representation” and the ensuing nine years. Schopenhauer had very #optimistic #expectations for his work “The world as will and representation” and did not hesitate to pay for its publication. In the early nineteenth...

I regard his university years in Berlin as crucial in shaping the extraordinary self-reliance of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860). He had just turned sixteen when he transferred to the University of Berlin and immersed himself in the writings of Immanuel Kant. Most sixteen-year old university students feel intimidated or at least impressed by professors. The large gap in experience, #wisdom and au...

I regard the biography of Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) as worth studying because it provides a wonderful illustration of Schopenhauer’s ideas; he practised what he preached at each opportunity and published extensive notes about his thoughts. Schopenhauer is one of the best German-language thinkers and essayists, but he was born in Danzig, which is nowadays called Gdansk and belongs to Poland....