A Convex Mirror

Schopenhauer is most recognizable as 'the philosopher of pessimism,' the author of a system that teaches how art and morality can help human beings navigate life in 'the worst of all possible worlds.' This dominant image of Schopenhauer has cut off an important branch of his tree of philosophy: the metaphysics of nature and its dialogue with the sciences of the time. A Convex Mirror sheds new light on the development of Schopenhauer's philosophy and his ongoing engagement with the natural sciences. Understanding Schopenhauer's metaphysics requires both an insight into his relationship with science and an appreciation of the role of the natural sciences in his philosophical project. In the first edition of The World as Will and Representation (1819), Schopenhauer dealt with science within the framework of Kant and Schelling's philosophies of nature, but his growing perplexity with them led him to an original, more complex conception of the relationship between science and metaphysics.