Arthur Schopenhauer · Philosophy

The World as Representation

Schopenhauer opens with a deceptively simple claim: the whole world we know is ‘representation’ - object only ever for a subject, structured by our own minds. He inherits Kant’s distinction between appearance and the thing-in-itself, and makes it the gateway to his entire system.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that for Schopenhauer the known world is representation ( Vorstellung ): it exists only as object for a subject, and is structured by space, time, and causality, which belong to the mind. Explain the claim and how it develops Kant.

Leads to Immanuel Kant.

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