Episode Details

"It is difficult to find happiness within oneself," said the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), "but it is impossible to find it anywhere else." In spite of his pessimism - or perhaps because of it - Schopenhauer, who was virtually unknown until the last few years of his life, went on to influence generations of writers, artists, philosophers, and composers. In this episode, Jacke looks at the life, legacy, and worldview of this darkest of men, including some thoughts on what it feels like to read Schopenhauer today.

Additional reading:

• 463 Friedrich Nietzsche (with Ritchie Robertson)
• 155 Plato
• 465 Greek Lit and Game Theory (with Josiah Ober)
• 164 Karl Marx

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