Schopenhauer: Making the Unconscious Conscious
The 21st century has overlooked Schopenhauer, but the 20th century was deeply influenced by him. We owe Schopenhauer many concepts that we use on a daily basis, including the idea of the unconscious.
Arthur Schopenhauer was a 19th century German philosopher who is considered one of the most important thinkers of his time. His works, including "The World as Will and Representation," have been highly influential in the development of philosophy, particularly in the areas of metaphysics and ethics. Despite his importance, many of Schopenhauer's works have remained inaccessible to English-speaking readers due to the lack of comprehensive and accurate translations. In response to this need, Newcomb Livraria Press has undertaken the task of producing a new series of complete, systematic translations of Schopenhauer's works into English.
Schopenhauer's thought is relevant and important for a number of reasons. He was one of the first philosophers to develop a systematic rejection of idealism, and his arguments for the existence of a will to live are still highly debated today. His pessimistic view of the human condition and his emphasis on the role of suffering in human life offer unique and valuable perspectives on the nature of existence. His ideas about the role of suffering and the nature of the human condition have inspired writers such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Thomas Mann, and his works continue to be studied and debated by scholars of literature and philosophy.
Freud was also influenced by Schopenhauer's ideas, particularly his emphasis on the role of the will in human life, and incorporated these ideas into his own work on psychoanalysis. His impact on the field of psychology, particularly through his ideas on the role of the will in human life, has been important and lasting.
Lack of adequate translations
Schopenhauer's ideas and arguments are complex, and accurate translations are essential for a full understanding of his works. The translations of Schopenhauer's works currently available in English have been criticized for their lack of accuracy and consistency, making it difficult for readers to fully grasp the depth and breadth of his thought. As the philosopher and writer A.C. Grayling notes, "Schopenhauer's writing is often dense and allusive, and a good translation is essential to understanding his ideas.
Poor translations have also hindered the spread of Schopenhauer's ideas and their influence on contemporary philosophy. As the philosopher Roger Scruton has observed, "Schopenhauer's works have been largely overlooked in the English-speaking world, partly because of the lack of accessible and accurate translations. This is a significant loss for both English-speaking philosophers and the general public, for Schopenhauer's ideas have the potential to offer fresh perspectives and insights into the human condition.
Translation plays a crucial role in the development and dissemination of philosophical ideas, allowing thinkers and their works to reach a wider audience. In the case of Schopenhauer, his impact on philosophy has been limited by the lack of adequate translations into English.
The complexity of Schopenhauer’s body of works
Schopenhauer wrote a meandering corpus of philosophic works, including re-published collections with some updated portions, making the creation of a systematic “complete works” a difficult undertaking. These are his major works, some of which are re-printings under
"Studien über Pessimismus" (Studies in Pessimism) (1851)
"Zwei grundlegende Probleme der Ethik" (The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics) (1841)
"Über die vierfache Wurzel des Satzes vom zureichenden Grunde" (On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason) (1813)
"Über den Willen in der Natur" (On the Will in Nature) (1836)
"Die Grundlage der Moral" (The Basis of Morality) (1840)
"Parerga und Paralipomena" (Additions and Omissions) (1851)
"Über die Freiheit des Willens" (On the Freedom of the Will) (1841)
"Über die Natur des Grundes, des Satzes vom zureichenden Grund" (On the Nature of the Principle of Sufficient Reason) (1814)
"Kunst und Literatur" (The Art of Literature) (1819)
"Über das Sehn und die Farben" (On Vision and Colors) (1816)
"Über den Begriff des Schönen und Erhabenen" (On the Concept of the Beautiful and the Sublime) (1817)
"Über den Wert des Lebens" (On the Value of Life) (1851)
"Über die Eitelkeit des Daseins" (On the Vanity of Existence) (1851)
"Über die Weisheit des Lebens" (On the Wisdom of Life) (1851)
"Ethik" (Ethics) (1840)
"Über die Natur des Tragischen" (On the Nature of Tragedy) (1840)
"Über die Religion" (On Religion) (1851)
"Über die Natur der Träume" (On the Nature of Dreams) (1851)
"Über die Natur der Liebe" (On the Nature of Love) (1851)
"Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung" (The World as Will and Representation) (1818)
These have been translated and nested in these volumes:
Gesamtwerk Schopenhauer
Volume I: On the Fourfold Root of the Theorem of the Sufficient Reason:
Volume II: The World as Will and Imagination Part I:
Volume III: The World as Will and Imagination Part II:
Volume IV: On the Basis of Morality & Attempt on Spirit-Seeing and what is connected with it:
Volume V: Pererga and Paralipomena Part I
Volume VI: Pererga and Paralipomena Part II
Volume VII: Minor Works: The Art of Being Right, Aphorisms, handwritten notes and Others
