An Introduction to Schopenhauer
- All levels
- 21 and older
- $315
- 12 hours over 4 sessions
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Brooklyn Institute for Social Research @ Online Classroom
Explore the realm of dreams through the lenses of philosophy, psychology, and the unconscious in this interdisciplinary course. Discover how dreams have inspired artists, writers, and theorists, shedding light on the nature of reality and our connection to others. Delve into the works of Freud, Benjamin, Coleridge, and more as you unravel the profound connections between dreams and waking life.
Apr 14th
2–5pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
Arthur Schopenhauer is a true oddity in the history of philosophy. Although a great metaphysical systematizer in the tradition of Leibniz and Hegel, Schopenhauer posed a worldview entirely antithetical to the “optimism” characteristic of traditional Western philosophizing. Whereas for Leibniz ours is “the best of all possible worlds,” Schopenhauer insisted that we are “not to be pleased but rather sorry about the existence of the world.” Ignored for much of his life, languishing resentfully in Hegel’s shadow, Schopenhauer at last achieved prominence when his conception of the world as objectified “Will,” of life as endless conflict, struck a resounding chord with a younger generation of 19th century thinkers and artists, including Nietzsche, Wagner, Tolstoy, Baudelaire, and Melville. What is the philosophical basis for Schopenhauer’s profound pessimism? How, in a world constituted by “representation” and ceaseless “will,” can humans live meaningfully, peacefully, and morally?
In this class, we’ll make our way through Schopenhauer’s magnum opus The World as Will and Representation, as we attempt to make sense—metaphysically, epistemologically, aesthetically, and ethically—of his systematic philosophy. We’ll consider its roots not only in Kantian and Platonic idealism, but also in Hindu and Buddhist thought. How, for Schopenhauer, do art and aesthetic experience serve as a means for achieving something like “salvation”? What are the moral ramifications of Schopenhauer’s pessimism for an ethics of asceticism and compassion?
This course is available for "remote" learning and will be available to anyone with access to an internet device with a microphone (this includes most models of computers, tablets). Classes will take place with a "Live" instructor at the date/times listed below.
Upon registration, the instructor will send along additional information about how to log-on and participate in the class.
In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.
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The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research was established in 2011 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Its mission is to extend liberal arts education and research far beyond the borders of the traditional university, supporting community education needs and opening up new possibilities for scholarship in the...
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