The World as Will and Idea (1819) holds that all nature, including man, is the expression of an insatiable will to life; that the truest understanding of the world comes through art, and the only lasting good through ascetic renunciation. Unique in western philosophy for his affinity with Eastern thought, Schopenhauer influenced philosophers, writers, and composers including Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Wagner, Tolstoy, Thomas Mann, and Samuel Beckett.
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Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German
Original Language: German
From the Publisher
Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For someone with no formal instruction in philosophy this is a very good book to begin with. Schopenhauer avoids the use of pretensious "philosophical" jargon and writes in a predominantly literary fashion.
The main value in this book is its ideas. Its basic premis is simple, yet the range of topics that Schopenhauer delivers treatises on is quite astounding - art, gambling, contract theory, sexual love and ascetic renunciation, to mention but a few. Only a man of his genius could have found a thread to link these diverse topics together. One does, however, sense at times that he distorts his philospophical beliefs in order to express his revulsion about his least favourite types of human activity.
I found the discussions on art the most insightful and rewarding. The book is a good dissection of the blind striving and willing of our world and has the potential to alter the way you view the nature of things.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a really excellent and readable version of Schopenhauer's seminal work. Any abridgements are very judiciously made, so that none of the essential ideas are left out. The introduction is excellent, and the translation very coherent and easy to follow. It is one of the most engrossing of philosphical primary texts, much easier to understand than Kant, and the presentation and translation are excellent. Anyone with an interest in philosophy, especially in the period of 19th Century philosophy from Kant to Nietzche, will find it indispensable.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Truth be told, I came to Schopenhauer's work reluctantly, having been put off by Nietzsche, who - despite an early infatuation with Schopenhauer - later turned against his "mentor" (of sorts) claiming his work lacked any ethical applicability.
Yet, as an avid reader of Buddhist and Western philosophical texts, I found myself repeatedly drawn towards Schopenhauer through various resources. So after putting my prejudices aside, I went to the text itself, and I have to say, I consumed this volume with great enthusiasm: I find Schopenhauer to be one of the clearest, most articulate philosophers in the Western tradition (not unlike a Zen master). His work is, in a word, genius.
OK, sure, the "Buddha of Frankfurt" (his nickname) was no saint, but then again, who is? If you ask me, Schopenhauer's thinking is not to be "followed" as such, but rather, "understood," as I find his quiet reserve inspirational and his attempts at personal fulfillment through ART to be wise and sagely advice.
Personally, I found that The World as Will and Idea reminded me of Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene. We are, it seems, reproduction machines. (I also think the fledgling terms Id and Ego might be brought into play as well.)
Finally, I must concur with Schopenhauer's university philosophy professor, G.E. Schulze, who told the young thinker to stick with ONLY Plato and Kant. But to that small list I would now add one more name: Arthur Schopenhauer, as he brilliantly merges the thought of Plato and Kant to form a truly original philosophy - and he does so in a much clearer way than, say, Hegel or any other German Idealist might have. That said, I think it is helpful to have read some Plato and Kant before dipping into this text, as I found - and perhaps this is a petty gripe, I dunno - that the introduction by Dave Berman was, unlike Schopenhauer's fine prose itself, dull, unhelpful and, ultimately, uninspiring.
I highly recommend this text for both beginners and experts in the field -it is THAT good...and it just might change your whole perspective, if not your way of life. Amazing!
Yet, as an avid reader of Buddhist and Western philosophical texts, I found myself repeatedly drawn towards Schopenhauer through various resources. So after putting my prejudices aside, I went to the text itself, and I have to say, I consumed this volume with great enthusiasm: I find Schopenhauer to be one of the clearest, most articulate philosophers in the Western tradition (not unlike a Zen master). His work is, in a word, genius.
OK, sure, the "Buddha of Frankfurt" (his nickname) was no saint, but then again, who is? If you ask me, Schopenhauer's thinking is not to be "followed" as such, but rather, "understood," as I find his quiet reserve inspirational and his attempts at personal fulfillment through ART to be wise and sagely advice.
Personally, I found that The World as Will and Idea reminded me of Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene. We are, it seems, reproduction machines. (I also think the fledgling terms Id and Ego might be brought into play as well.)
Finally, I must concur with Schopenhauer's university philosophy professor, G.E. Schulze, who told the young thinker to stick with ONLY Plato and Kant. But to that small list I would now add one more name: Arthur Schopenhauer, as he brilliantly merges the thought of Plato and Kant to form a truly original philosophy - and he does so in a much clearer way than, say, Hegel or any other German Idealist might have. That said, I think it is helpful to have read some Plato and Kant before dipping into this text, as I found - and perhaps this is a petty gripe, I dunno - that the introduction by Dave Berman was, unlike Schopenhauer's fine prose itself, dull, unhelpful and, ultimately, uninspiring.
I highly recommend this text for both beginners and experts in the field -it is THAT good...and it just might change your whole perspective, if not your way of life. Amazing!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
poor edition
This copy of 'The World as Will and Idea' is replete with typing errors, to a point that makes it very difficult to read. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Richard C. Ball
Do not buy General Books LLC "The World as Will and Idea"
This "translation" of The World as Will and Idea printed by General Books LLC is terrible.
No translator is listed. Read more
No translator is listed. Read more
Published on April 4, 2010 by Joel Boyer
Not as it seems
Unfortunately this title is misleading and starts in the middle of the book. It is a fair price for what you get but this kind of heady reading is not something one wants to start... Read more
Published on January 21, 2010 by E. Dolce
this is not what it claims to be
this is actually the last part of the entire work although the advertising would have you believe you are buying the whole work
I regard this as a misrepresentation!
I regard this as a misrepresentation!
Published on November 13, 2009 by Donald James Wright
Kindle edition
The Kindle edition of this work is a disaster. There is no Table of Contents, much less a Contents with active links. Read more
Published on February 24, 2009 by Platon
Good Abrigment, Fine Translation
--Just don't get caught by the precursor hooks on the backmatter.
Schopenhauer's significance transcends mere 'anticipation of the discovery of the unconscious by Freud' or... Read more
Schopenhauer's significance transcends mere 'anticipation of the discovery of the unconscious by Freud' or... Read more
Published on February 6, 2009 by Alaric
Fabulous book, amazing introduction
I have returned to this everyman edition of this book many times over the years...nearly every passage is underlined in a different color pen. Read more
Published on May 22, 2008 by T
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