| Re: Schopenhauer. Happiness and suffering. |
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Group: alt.philosophy · Group Profile
Author: Leon HoeneveldLeon Hoeneveld Date: Aug 19, 2008 08:00
surge schreef:
> Hello everybody,
>
> A couple of months ago I read the 1st volume of Schopenhauer's main
> work. I liked it a lot. One thing I never fully grasped is his idea
> that happiness is "negative" and suffering is "positive". He couldn't
> have meant happiness is bad and suffering is good. My only guess is
> that he meant that suffering is additive and happiness is subtractive.
> Meaning we start from suffering from day 1 and any happiness is a
> subtraction from it. And because of this we get used to happiness --
> since it's not something we gain but something we just subtract with.
> That was my understanding, but after starting reading his Aphorisms, I
> began doubting that interpretation.
>
> This has been bothering me a lot! Thanks for any clues!
A value that S. had was art. Art and art alone was able to give
enlightment from the Will.
I understood that as that only creative expression was a kind of Will S.
could be possitive about.
Now the pursuit for happiness is only making the Will stronger, a force
that holds you captive even longer. Suffering would cause you to want
less, less "Will" and that would be possitive.
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