19th Century Philosophy - Essay Example

19th Century Philosophy 19th Century Philosophy Introduction In his work, The World as Will and Representation, Schopenhauer argues that the world is motivated by a perennially discontented will, always pursuing satisfaction. In this context, will represents mankind’s most common designation for the notion that can also be interpreted by other words like effort, desire, wanting, urging, and striving. Schopenhauer also contends that all nature, man included, is the manifestation of an endless will to life. Humans discover their suffering through will and want for more is what inspires this suffering. Discussion I concur with Schopenhauer’s claim that the world is motivated by a perpetual will that pushes people to pursue perfection at all times. He also argues that humans are naturally inquisitive because we cannot be contented with the basic knowledge that we possess ideas, and that such ideas are linked to specific laws, the common description of which is the concept of adequate reason. Humans desire to know the importance of their ideas, and that is why they are driven to question whether the world is no more than a simple idea, not deserving of our attention if it is to elude us like a dream, or whether it is weightier (Stevenson, 2014). Retrospective thinking would reveal that mankind has always acted based on urges. Such urges make people want to do things as they feel or think. The will is largely informed by emotions and thoughts, and these are the essence of mankind. Removing emotions and thoughts eliminates the human dimension of mankind and makes us akin to animals and even inanimate objects. As Schopenhauer argues, the difference between humans and other beings is the will, capacity and urge to think. This leads to intellectual freedom, which separates humans from, say, animals. Going back to the subject of will, human behavior is representative of the inherent will we possess. For instance, a student can have the will to pass exams and join a reputable university while a cat does not have such ambitions because it has no will. Philosophical theory would indicate that unlike animals that are driven mainly by instinct, humans possess logic that allows them to rationalize situations (Schopenhauer, 2012). In most cases, humans use logic more than instinct while animals use instinct more than logic. Since the advent of civilization, humans have used their will to pursue objectives that not only meet their needs but also satisfy their ambitions. However, the insatiable nature of human will can be reflected in the extremely high levels of dynamism and evolution that we exhibit. The insatiability, as argued by Schopenhauer, drives us to do more because we always desire more. While animals adapt to their surroundings and maintain a virtually constant pattern of life, human will creates a continuously evolving trend of life that inspires new developments at all times. Let us consider, for instance, the personal computer or PC (Clark, 2013). The first PC was a rudimentary device that is incomparable to the modern versions we have today. However, the question is, what is the difference between that first PC and the highly sophisticated variants in existence today? The answer is an unending desire; a lasting want for more that cannot and will never be fully satisfied. If Schopenhauer were wrong, we would still be using the archaic and slow PCs that were invented ages ago. However, since mankind’s will is too powerful to be permanently quenched, development must occur. An interesting dimension of the concept of will, and one which Schopenhauer should have investigated in his work, is the evolutionary nature of will, and humans’ propensity to “forget” that will is too powerful to be sufficiently addressed. For example, during high school, majority of students always look forward to passing their exams and joining good colleges. At that stage, many students think that once they work hard and join college their purpose will be largely fulfilled, and they will develop a sense of gratification and content that is intended to vindicate their efforts. However, once they are in college, they realize that qualifying from high school was just the beginning of another chapter in their lives (Schopenhauer, 2012). At this stage, the goal posts shift and the wants increase. Instead of being contented with the idea of being in college, other wills like getting a good job, the ideal partner, and being secure financially become part of a much wider plan. When all these goals have been achieved, other desires will crop up, such as increasing one’s income and expanding one’s influence. This pattern reveals not only the evolutionary nature of humans, but also the insatiable nature of will. Will constantly urges us to do want bigger, better, faster, stronger, tougher, longer, cheaper, richer, etc. This informs mankind’s desire to change things within the immediate environment and to create situations where dormancy and stagnation cannot thrive. As a matter of fact, the insatiable and dynamic nature of will has made it impossible for slow or less adaptable people to survive in any area of life (Schopenhauer, 2012). In careers, education, business, research, relationships, among other important aspects of life, only the most willful, driven, and dynamic people survive. In career circles, for instance, employees are always encouraged to go to school so that they can improve their professional prospects and avoid being locked out in any way by others’ aggression. Some scholars have argued that will is a survival tactic that humans have used to protect themselves and their offspring since the beginning of civilization. Since will occurs naturally and does not require any external force to manifest, it could be said that it is mankind’s version of the powerful instincts possessed by animals (Schopenhauer, 2012). For animals, intelligence may be a factor in survival, but instinct is the true force that enables them to beat the odds created by nature. In the same vein, humans use will to surmount the challenges posed by nature and competition, in the sense that those with the greatest desire are more likely to survive than those with weak wills and lukewarm urges. Another aspect of will which is worth exploring is its relativity. People exhibit varying degrees of will, although every person always wants to seek better things or situations. For example, the wants of a billionaire may contrast with the wants of a peasant. However, at the end of the day, both factions share an unending will that drives them to want better or different (Warburton, 2014). This makes will one of the common natural traits that all humans possess. It also shows that Schopenhauer was right when he said that will links all humans and does not respect one’s status or situation. Human suffering offers an intriguing dimension of will. As Schopenhauer contends, humans understand their suffering via will, and will is what sparks this suffering. However, we need to understand what suffering is in the context of People can suffer in different ways, such as emotionally or psychologically. As stated earlier, humans are defined by emotional or psychological functions and will is a product of emotional and psychological needs. One can suffer emotional and psychological stress because of failure to satisfy a particular will (Russell, 2013). When an individual wills to do or have something, the brain is conditioned such that failure to achieve such goals is seen as a sign of weakness, poor adaptability, or inferior genes. However, there is also the effort required to make a particular effort successful, and this demands some degree of toiling (suffering) before the will can be satisfied. Once it has been satisfied, more desire will lead to the pursuit of other ambitions that will also demand some degree of suffering. Other scholars have claimed that the insatiability of human will is the cause of most problems experienced in the world. According to them, nature provides enough resources and conditions for humans to survive; it does not support constant evolution. In fact, nature does not change; humans do. When human will morphs rapidly and leads to the indiscriminate plundering of nature to satisfy perpetual desires, other more deserving people are denied the chance to thrive, resources become limited, and conflicts arise in the society (Clark, 2013). From a humanistic perspective, this could be referred to as part of life’s survival toolkit. However, from a philosophical and biblical point of view it could be interpreted as greed, and greed is a regressive attribute often exhibited by humans and misconstrued as a necessary evil; one of the many negative features of the war for survival. Conclusion Schopenhauer’s claims, arguments, and evidence are all relevant and sound. He has articulated and reinforced his concepts by exploring the deepest annals of human nature, revealing traits that typify human behavior. Ultimately, will is an essential component of human existence, and its benefits, when examined humanely, far outweigh any drawbacks. In his book, Schopenhauer posited that we should not forget the nature of the concept of the will, the makeup of life in reality, is actually only the present, and not history or the future. Nobody ever dueled in the past, and nobody will ever live in the future. The only aspect of life that is guaranteed is the present, and it always exists alongside its constituents. References Clark, A. (2013). Decomposing the will. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Russell, P. (2013). The philosophy of free will: Essential readings from the contemporary debates. New York: Oxford University Press. Schopenhauer, A. (2012). The world as will and representation (the world as will and idea). Stilwell, Kan.: Digireads.com Pub. Stevenson, J. (2014). Philosophy. Unknown: Alpha. Warburton, N. (2014). Philosophy (4th ed.). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Read More