The World as Will and Idea, Vol. I — Arthur Schopenhauer, trans. Haldane & Kemp

THE WORLD AS WILL AND IDEA

VOLUME I

THE WORLD AS WILL AND IDEA

By

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER VOLUME I

CONTAINING FOUR BOOKS

Ob nicht Natur zuletzt sich doch ergrunde ?

Gottht

LONDON

ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LIMITED

BROADWAY HOUSE, 68 - 74 CARTER LANE, E. C.

Translated from the German by

R. B. HALDANE, M.A.

and

J. KEMP, M.A.

First published 1883 Ninth impression 1948

CONTENTS

FIRST BOOK.

rAOB

The World as Idsa— First Aspect. The Idea Subobdi* i

NATF.P TO THE PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON; THE

Object of Expekiexcb and Science • • » •

SECOND BOOK.

The World as Will— First Aspect. The OBJSoTiFiCATioir of the Will • • lEi

THIRD BOOK.

The AVorld as Idea— Second Aspect. The Idea Independent of tub Principle of Sufficient Reason: the Platonic Idea : the Object of Aet • • . 217

FOURTH BOOK.

The World as Will— Second Aspect. After the AttainMBNT OF Self-Knowledge. Assertion and Denial of THE Will to Live 547

TRANSLATORS’ PREFACE

The style of “Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellang” is sometimes loose and involved, as is so often the case in German philosophical treatises. The translation of the book has consequently been a matter of no little difficulty. It was found that extensive altemtion of the long and occasionally involved sentences, however likely to prove conducive to a satisfactory English style, tended not only to obliterate the form of the original but even to imperil the meaning. Where a choice has had to be made, the alternative of a somewhat slavish adherence to Schopenhauer’s ipmsima verba has accordingly been preferred to that of inaccuracy, l^e result is a piece of work which leaves much to be desired, but which has yet consistently sought to reproduce faithfully the spirit as well as the letter of the original.

As regards the rendering of the technical terms about which there has been so much controversy, the equivalents used have only been adopted after careful consideration of their meaning in the theory of knowledge. For example, “ Vorstellung ” has been rendered by “ idea," in preference to " representation,” which is neither accurate, intelligible, nor elegant. “Idee,” is translated by the

TRANSLATORS' PREFACE.

same word, but spelled with a capital, — “ Idea.” Again, “Anschauung” has been rendered according to the context, either by “ perception ” simply, or by “ intuition or perception.”

Notwithstanding statements to the contrary in the text, the book is probably quite intelligible in itself, apart from the treatise " On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason.” It has, however, been considered desirable to add an abstract of the latter work in an appendix to the third volume of this translation.

R. B. H.

J. K.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

I PROPOSE to point out here how this book must be read in order to be thoroughly understood. By means of it I only intend to impart a single thought. Yet, notwithstanding all my endeavours, I could find no shorter way of imparting it than this whole book. I hold this thought to that wliicli has very long been sought for under the name of philosophy, and the discovery of which is therefore regarded by those who are familiar with history as quite as impossible as the discovery of the philosopher’s stone, although it was already said by Pliny : Quam 'muTta fieri non iwsse, priusupiam sint facia, jvdicantur / (Hist, nat 7, I.)

According as we consider the different aspects of this one thought which I am about to impart, it exhibits itself as that which we call metaphysics, that which we call ethics, and that which we call esthetics ; and certainly it must be all this if it is whatmiave already acknowledged I take it to be.

A system of thought must always have an architectonic connection or coherence, that is, a connection in which one part always supports the other, though the latter does not support the former, in which ultimately the foundation supports all the rest without being supported by it, and the apex is supported without supporting. On the other hand, a single thought, however compreTiii PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.