Arthur Schopenhauer. The world as a performance. Understanding the relationship between different ideas
Arthur Schopenhauer was born in Danzig (now Gdansk) in 1788, the son of a wealthy businessman and a future famous writer. Already at the age of 17, he recalled, “without any school education, I was as overcome by a feeling of world sorrow as Buddha was in his youth, when he saw illness, old age, suffering, death” (1:6, 222). Reflecting on the misfortunes of the world, Schopenhauer “came to the conclusion that this world could not be the work of some all-good being, but undoubtedly the work of some devil, who called the creature into existence in order to enjoy the contemplation of torment” (1:6, 222). This extremely pessimistic view was soon modified by Schopenhauer in that he began to assert that although various disasters are inextricably linked with the very existence of the world, this world itself is only a necessary means for achieving the “highest good.” The shift in emphasis also changed Schopenhauer’s interpretation of the deep essence of the world. From a devilish beginning, it turned into an irrational beginning, but unconsciously seeking self-knowledge. The sensory world lost its independent reality, appearing as a nightmare, revealing the irrationality of the world’s essence and pushing towards a “better consciousness.”
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 4. The Big Bang Theory and the Buddhist Beginningless Cosmos
Who has not experienced a feeling of amazement when looking at the depths of the sky filled with countless twinkling stars on a cloudless night? And who hasn’t wondered whether intelligent life exists there too? Who hasn’t asked himself whether our planet is the only habitable place in the Universe? In my opinion, such questions are posed by the very natural curiosity inherent in the human mind. Attempts to find answers to them have been made throughout the history of human civilization. One of the greatest achievements of modern science is that it has brought us closer than ever before to understanding the conditions and causes of the complex processes underlying the emergence of the Universe.