Paraphrase Schopenhauer\'s \"on the vanity of existence\" PDF

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A summary on Schopenhauer's essay....

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Semi nar1-Par aphr ase Schopenhauer ’ s“ Ont hevani t yofex i st ence” I nSchopenhauer ’ sessay“ Ont hev ani t yofexi st ence”hecomment sont hef ut i l i t yofl i f e,es sent i al l y t hepasti snol ongerr eal andbasi cal l yexi st si nt hesamewayassomet hi ngt hatneverwas. Schopenhaueri mpl i est hatt hecompar i sont opastandpr es enti ss i mi l art ot her el at i onshi pbet weensomet hi ngandnot hi ng.Schopenhaueragai nsst at est hatduet ot hefleet i ngnat ur eofl i f e eachmomentt hatpassesqui ckl yvani shes .Schopenhaueri mpl i est hatt hei ssuewi t ht r yi ngt oenj oyt hepr esenti st hatbecausei tpassessoqui ckl yi t“ cannotbewor t hanyser i ouseffor t ” . ( Schopenhauer ,“ Ont heVani t yofExi st ence, ”68. ) Exi st enc er emai nsent i r el yi nt hepr esentandasi ti ssofl eet i ng,i ti sal waysi nmot i on,Schopenhauershowst hi st hr oughst at i ngt hatexi st encei sl i ke:“ amanr unni ngdownamount ai nwhowoul d f al l overi fhet r i edt ost opandcans t ayonhi sf eetonl ybyr unni ngon… Thusexi st encei st ypi fi ed byunr est . ”( Schopenhauer ,“ Ont heVani t yofExi st ence, ”68. )Schopenhauerexpl ai nst hatwel i ve l i f econst ant l yl ook i ngf or war dandsi mul t aneous l yr egr et t i ngourpast ,andt hepr esenti sent i r el yi r r el evant ,seenass i mpl yawayt ogett ot hef ut ur e.Sc hopenhaueri mpl i est hatl ooki ngbackt oour pastwer eal i sewenevert r ul yenj oy edi t ,buti nst eadsi mpl yusedi tasameanst oanend,t hatend bei ngr eac hi ngourf ut ur es .Soonwemustr eal i s et hatourent i r el i v esar esi mpl yt hemoment swe coul dnotenj oy .Schopenhaueri mpl i est hatourdesi r et obeal i v ewi l l ev ent ual l yf adeandt hati sa t est amentt ot hef actt hatal lofours t r i vi ngi ses sent i al l yi nvai n. Schopenhaueral sos t at est hathumani t yst r i v esof r equent l yf ors uccessduet obor edom.Howev er t hosewi t hpassi onat edr i v esfindmanyt hi ngsofi nt er es tt hr oughoutt her el i v es .Howev ert heconsi st encyofourst r i vi ngsuggest st hatwecanc hooset ohav el i v esf r eeofbor edom,ot her wi sewhy woul dwedoi t .Howev erSchopenhauerst at et hatt hi sst r i ngt r ul yi si nvai nbecausewewi l l di e,t he goal ofhumani t yappear st obedeat h.Wel i v e,wes t r uggl eandt hewedi e.Schopenhauersuggest st hatourl i v esar el essv al uabl ebecausewedi e.Al soi nconsi der i ngwhathappensf r om bi r t h t odeat hSchopenhaueri scor r ecti nst at i ngt hatt her ei sanel ementofvani t y .Schopenhaueri s t echni cal l ycor r ectasmanyaspect sofl i f edet r actf r om t hepos si bi l i t yofmeani ngf ul ness . Theabsol ut enessofex i st ence,al ongwi t ht hefleet i ngnessoft hepr esentmomentaddst oget her wi t hs ev er alot herf act or ss uchas,t hepast ,t hec ons t antneedf orsucc ess,bor edom andmos ti mpor t ant l yt hei nevi t abi l i t yofdeat h,al laddupt ot hec oncl usi ont hatl i f ei sent i r el yf ut i l e.Schopenhauer ’ sconcl usi oni st hatl i f ei sul t i mat el ypoi nt l ess,wear ebor nandt heev ent ual l ywedi e.Hi s comment ar yont i mei st hathumani t ynevert r ul yex per i encest hepr esent ,l i vi ngcont i nuousl yi nei t hert her egr etoft hepas tort hehopeoft hef ut ur e.Ess ent i al l yt hepas tnol ongerexi st sandt hef ut ur edoesnoty etexi s t ,t her ef or eal lt hati si nexi st encesi st hepr es ent .Howev eri ti ss ofl eet i ngt hat i tv ani shesbef or ei tcant r ul ybeenj oy ed.Al s oSchopenhauer ’ ssuggest i ont hatt het r uepur poseof humani t yi st odi e.Thewayhes ugges t st hatourl i f ehasl essval ueduet odeat h,andy etdeat hi s t heonl yconst antt hr oughoutal l ofhumani t y .Si mpl yputl i f ei t s el fl acksv al ue,wes t r i v ef orpr ogr ess andsuccessduet oanov er whel mi ngs enseofbor edom andy etwenev err eachal ev el ofs uccess t hatsol v est hemostpr ev al enti s suet hr oughouthumani t y ,mor t al i t y .Al lt oget herSc hopenhauer ’ s concl usi oni st hatl i f ei sent i r el yf ut i l eandmeani ngl essduet oanumberofdi ffer entf act or s ,but mai nl ybec auset hepr esenti t sel fcannev ert r ul yhav emeani ng.I tv er yqui ckl ybecomest hepast , whi chi sent i r el ygoneorasSchopenhauerwoul dsugges tnev ert r ul yexi st i ng,ort hepr esenti s f or medofs t r i v i ngcont i nuousl yf orabet t erf ut ur e,af ut ur et hatmaynotev ercomeduet ot hef act t hatt hef ut ur ev er yqui c kl ybec omest hepr es ent ,andt henal mosti mmedi at el ybec omest hepast . Hi ghl i ght i ngonceagai nSchopenhauer ’ sconcl usi onoft heut t erf ut i l i t yofhumanl i f e. Bi bl i ogr aphy : “ Ont hev ani t yofe xi st enc e”Sc hopenhauer...