Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) - German philosopher, one of the greatest thinkers of irrationalism, misanthrope. He was interested in German romanticism, was fond of mysticism, spoke highly of the work of Immanuel Kant, and also appreciated the philosophical ideas of Buddhism.
Schopenhauer considered the existing world "the worst possible world", for which he received the nickname "philosopher of pessimism." 
Schopenhauer had a significant influence on many famous thinkers, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Leo Tolstoy and others.
There are many interesting facts in Schopenhauer's biography, which we will talk about in this article.
So, before you is a short biography of Arthur Schopenhauer.
Schopenhauer's biography
Arthur Schopenhauer was born on February 22, 1788 in the city of Gdansk, which was on the territory of the Commonwealth. He grew up and was brought up in a wealthy and educated family.
The thinker's father, Heinrich Floris, was a merchant who visited England and France on trade, and was also fond of European culture. Mother, Johanna, was 20 years younger than her husband. She was engaged in writing and owned a literary salon.
Childhood and youth
When Arthur was about 9 years old, his father took him to France to visit his friends. The boy stayed in this country for 2 years. At this time, the best teachers were studying with him.
In 1799, Schopenhauer became a student at the Runge private gymnasium, where children of high-ranking officials were trained. In addition to traditional disciplines, fencing, drawing were taught here, as well as music and dance. An interesting fact is that by that time in his biography, the young man was already fluent in French.
At the age of 17, Arthur got a job in a trading company located in Hamburg. However, he immediately realized that trade was not at all his element.
Soon the guy learns about the death of his father, who drowned in a water channel after falling from a window. There were rumors that Schopenhauer Sr. committed suicide due to possible bankruptcy and health problems.
Arthur suffered the death of his father hard, remaining in despondency for a long time. In 1809 he managed to enter the medical department at the University of Göttingen. Later, the student decided to transfer to the Faculty of Philosophy.
In 1811 Schopenhauer settled in Berlin, where he often attended lectures by the philosophers Fichte and Schleiermacher. Initially, he listened with great attention to the ideas of popular thinkers, but soon he began not only to criticize them, but also to enter into a skirmish with lecturers.
At that time, biography Arthur Schopenhauer began to deeply research the natural sciences, including chemistry, astronomy, physics and zoology. He attended courses on Scandinavian poetry, and also read Renaissance writings and studied medieval philosophy.
The most difficult for Schopenhauer was law and theology. Nevertheless, in 1812 the University of Jena awarded him the title of Doctor of Philosophy in absentia.
Literature
In 1819, Arthur Schopenhauer presented the main work of his entire life - "The World as Will and Representation." In it, he described in detail his vision of the meaning of life, loneliness, raising children, etc.
When creating this work, the philosopher drew inspiration from the work of Epictetus and Kant. The author sought to prove to the reader that the most important thing for a person is inner integrity and harmony with oneself. He also argued that the physical health of the body is the only reason for achieving happiness.
In 1831 Schopenhauer publishes the book "Eristics or the Art of Winning Disputes", which today does not lose its popularity and practicality. The thinker talks about techniques to help you emerge victorious in discussions with the interlocutor or group of people.
An interesting fact is that the writer clearly explains how to be right, even if you are wrong. According to him, victory in the dispute can only be achieved if the facts are presented correctly.
In the work "On insignificance and sorrows of life" Arthur tells that people are captive to their own desires. Every year their needs grow, as a result of which each previous impulse leads to a new, but more powerful one.
The book "The Metaphysics of Sexual Love" deserves special attention, which expounds the ethical views of Schopenhauer. In addition to sexual love, topics related to death and its perception are considered here.
Arthur Schopenhauer wrote many fundamental works, including "On the will in nature", "On the basis of morality" and "On free will".
Personal life
Schopenhauer did not have an attractive appearance. He was short, narrow-shouldered, and also had a disproportionately large head. By nature, he was a misanthrope, not trying to start conversations even with the opposite sex.
However, from time to time, Arthur still communicated with the girls whom he attracted with his speeches and thoughts. Moreover, he sometimes flirted with the ladies and indulged in amorous pleasures.
Schopenhauer remained an old bachelor. He was characterized by love of freedom, suspiciousness and disregard for the simplest of life. He put health first, which he mentioned in his writings.
It is worth noting that the philosopher suffered from extreme suspicion. He could assure himself that they wanted to poison, rob or kill him when there was no justified reason for this.
Schopenhauer owned a huge library of over 1,300 books. And although he loved to read, he was critical of reading, since the reader borrowed other people's thoughts, and did not scoop ideas from his head.
The man contemptuously treated the "philosophers" and "scientists" who now and then only engage in citing and researching works. He promoted independent thinking, since only in this way could a person develop as a person.
Schopenhauer considered music the highest art and played the flute all his life. As a polyglot, he knew German, Italian, Spanish, French, English, Latin and Ancient Greek, and was also an admirer of poetry and literature. He especially loved the works of Goethe, Petrarch, Calderon and Shakespeare.
Death
Schopenhauer was distinguished by phenomenal health and almost never got sick. Therefore, when he began to have a rapid heartbeat and slight discomfort behind the breastbone, he did not attach any importance to this.
Arthur Schopenhauer died on September 21, 1860 from pneumonia at the age of 72. He died sitting on the couch at home. His body was not opened, since the philosopher, during his lifetime, asked not to do this.
Schopenhauer Photos
