Arthur Schopenhauer books in order
German philosopher
- Lived
- 1788–1860
- Country
- Germany
- Books
- 15
Arthur Schopenhauer published 4 novels, 1 novella, 5 non-fiction books and 5 other books, beginning with Parerga and Paralipomena (1851). The best-known is The Wisdom of Life (1851).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Arthur Schopenhauer
Start here
The Wisdom of Life
Arthur Schopenhauer's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Critique of the Kantian Philosophy (1818)
The World as Will and Representation (1819)
On the Will in Nature (1836)
The Art of (1864)
Novellas in order
On Women (1851)
Non-fiction in order
On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason (1813)
Parerga and Paralipomena (1851)
The Wisdom of Life (1851)
Selected Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer (1891)
On Human Nature (1897)
Other books in order
On the Basis of Morality (1879)
Counsels and Maxims (1890)
Studies in Pessimism (1890)
The Art of Literature (1893)
On the Freedom of the Will (1985)
Free to read
All free classics
About Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer, also known as the “Philosopher of Pessimism”, was a German philosopher and writer. He is known for his 1818 work The World as Will and Representation, which characterizes the phenomenal world as the manifestation of a blind and irrational noumenal will. Building on the transcendental idealism of Immanuel Kant, Schopenhauer developed an atheistic, metaphysical and ethical system that rejected the contemporaneous ideas of German idealism.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Arthur Schopenhauer FAQ
- How many books has Arthur Schopenhauer written?
- Arthur Schopenhauer published 4 novels, 1 novella, 5 non-fiction books and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Arthur Schopenhauer's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Wisdom of Life.
- What is Arthur Schopenhauer's last book?
- The Wisdom of Life (1851).
- What is Arthur Schopenhauer's most famous book?
- The Wisdom of Life (1851) is Arthur Schopenhauer's most widely read book.
- Can I read Arthur Schopenhauer's books for free?
- Yes. 7 books by Arthur Schopenhauer are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Arthur Schopenhauer
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.