On Human Nature

Exploring human nature through a pessimistic lens, Arthur Schopenhauer argues that our perception of reality is shaped by subjective experience and personal biases. In this essay, he examines institutions like government and concepts such as free will, revealing a fatalistic impulse that influences culture towards extremes of despotism and anarchy. Schopenhauer's perspective aligns with a Buddhist-like view of desire leading to suffering, suggesting that renouncing desire offers only temporary relief. This work is essential for those interested in philosophy and 19th-century thought.