“Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things,” observed German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.
Noted for his pessimism, Schopenhauer, who died in 1860, believed we are unable to satisfy our wills and desires, ultimately leading to a painful existence. In effect, Schopenhauer believed we are all hopelessly lost.
Philosophers have not always been negative in their attempts to define the human condition – the common experiences that characterize us during our lifetime such as inevitable isolation, curiosity, aging and fear of death. Their different views have sparked a debate over the question “Are we lost?”
Schopenhauer’s predecessor, German optimist Gottfried Liebniz, believed the world, and therefore the human condition, were perfect because God created them. In 1710 he wrote that we live in “the best of all possible worlds.”
Forty-nine years later, French philosopher Voltaire challenged this idea with his protagonist, Candide, who attempted to come to terms with adversity using Leibnizian optimism. Candide eventually rejected optimism and presented yet a third view where he “cultivates his garden” and escapes more pessimistic and optimistic views by maintaining self-direction….
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