Philosophy
This essay will highlight the viewpoints of the philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer. The viewpoint was supported as well as criticized at the same point. The aim was to understand if we agree with the points that were raised by the philosopher.
Schopenhauer has pointed out, “the vital nature of reality is that it is rational” is not true. He states that our thoughts and bodily movements are nothing but a form of expression of our inner will, our innermost nature. Reasoning arises later in life. He states we are apt to think that we are rational people as we get guidance by our thoughts that in the end are found to be good. Schopenhauer supports his points by stating that even an infant cry for food much before they can understand anything about the food. Humans don’t decide anything on logic; they are decided based on the goals and the methods to achieve the goals.
Almost all the human beings take the majority of their decisions based on gut feeling or instinct. When I wanted to start my higher degree, initially this decision based on my instincts and not on rational. I didn’t consider the pros and cons of the scope of the study. I wanted to study in this field and just went with that decision.
Although the decisions in the initial stage of life is based on instinct, but with the time, I was able to understand that every action should have a rational reasoning behind it. Winners are made on reasoning and no longer our instincts.
Considering all arguments, I would partially agree with Schopenhauer point as more than 99% of the times we go with our instincts and don’t want to back up every decision with some unwanted reasoning.
Schopenhauer has further pointed out, “every man naturally wills, life and the perpetuation of life without giving any thought to whether it is good”. He stated every person wants to live more. Once they have achieved all their aims of life they want their existence to be complete. The same primordial will for perpetual existence is present in every creature. Nature cares about species and considers them individually. Every living creature is looking for self-completion.
Every creature has to perpetuate will inside them. If the dogs were expressing love, we are amazed. The same goes in adolescents as well. A woman’s chief impulse is to cleave to him whom she has, in the interests of her future children. A man is prone to inconstancy, a woman to constancy, because he can sire a hundred children in a year, but she can bear only one.
Even though, the point put forth by the philosopher is correct, but that doesn’t apply to each and every case. It can seen from the first reaction of a man to woman the first time. They look for flirting and not for marriage.
Although the viewpoint is apt for criticism, I would agree with the author that in the end every human wants to live long and have a complete life. Every person has their perception and thinking, and it doesn’t determine that they will live long. We have prisoners who are happy with their life and don’t have a complete life. They go by what life has to offer.
Schopenhauer next points out, “the whole world contradicts optimism”. He says that for optimism to prevail in the world should be genuine and good. Contrary to popular belief we know that evil is not an illusion. Human desire is indefinite.
There is good and bad equally present in the world. If we believe in God, then we have to believe in the existing of an opposing force. There are opposite of everything in the world. Goodness can’t be everywhere. Rarity and beauty, average and ugly, genius and fools, etc. are everywhere around the world.
The philosopher needs to consider the fact that even though there are two sides of everything, at the end goodness prevails and joy of life spreads everywhere. A man in old age will always show his childish side. We have happiness and don’t have any rational reason behind anything.
I would like to agree with the philosopher’s point of view. Evil and good are two sides of the same coins. People talk about being optimistic, but they have been in many situations wherein there was no scope for the same.
Another point raised by Schopenhauer indicates, “our behaviour is the product of our motives”. He says that these motives can be greed, altruism, love and vanity. These motives are in every man from the start. Are motives is selected by our will and not our brain. It is irrational from the very start. He says that a man has three basic motives of egoism, malice and compassion.
Our behaviour clearly shows out our motives of all the time. No matter what we say to people or what we do for them, at the end our motive is achieved by manipulating our behaviour. A simple example being, if I am looking for a discount in a showroom, my behaviour will automatically change to achieve the motive I have in mind.
Our motives change doesn’t depend on our behaviour all the time; even the surrounding behaviour has a huge impact on the end results. A simple example is that when we join a company, our motive is to earn lots of money. But the organizational behaviour completely changes our motives for growth instead of money.
In the end my opinion is partial towards the directed point. The behaviour can’t be the guiding force for our motives at all the times. Motives is backed by our mindset and our behaviour. Human mind changes constantly depending on the situation.
Schopenhauer further points out, “Compassion alone is the basis of genuinely moral action”. He says that without compassion out behaviour can be attributed to the fear or punishment factor. Our action can be just because of our habits. Can we confidently say that we have moral conduct?
Decisions and action is taken from the heart, and our heart is full of compassion. Compassion is a will and not a prompt. Many people associate happiness with compassion in every part of their life.
We take partial decision when we are in compassion. We tend to hide the reality and let the illusion takeover our judgments. Actions and decisions based on emotions don’t guarantee happiness as well as success anytime.
I wouldn’t agree with his point of view fully as genuine moral action is based on compassion as well as rational thinking. People get carried away in emotions and can decisions which will have a negative impact on them.
