Cover of The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3)

The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3)

by Arthur Schopenhauer

Reading level
Fairly demanding
Price
Free

About the book

"The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3)" by Arthur Schopenhauer is a philosophical work first published in 1818. Building on Kant's transcendental idealism, Schopenhauer argues that the world exists as "representation" in our minds, while its inner essence is a blind, unconscious will—the root of all suffering. Through four books, he explores how aesthetic experience offers temporary escape, though true redemption requires complete denial of the will to life. This single thought, examined from multiple perspectives, became his life's work.

  • Philosophy
  • Knowledge, Theory of
  • Will
  • Idea (Philosophy)

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #38427. The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) on Wikipedia.

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