19th century · Philosophy (Metaphysics, Ethics)
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was a German philosopher best known for his 1818 work 'The World as Will and Representation', which synthesized Kantian idealism with Eastern philosophical influences. He developed a profoundly pessimistic metaphysical system centered on a blind, striving cosmic force called the Will, against which he proposed aesthetic contemplation and ascetic denial as paths to temporary salvation. Largely ignored during his early career, his influence grew in later life and profoundly impacted figures like Nietzsche, Wagner, and Freud.