This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: ... ON THE PHILOSOPHIC ASPECT OF PESSIMISTIC REALISM SCHOPENHAUER--IBSEN--SHAKESPEARE As we have already seen, the soundness of the realistic poet's philosophy is one thing, and the soundness of his poetry, another. "Pessimism," as Max Nordau has it, "is not a philosophy but a temperament "; and, though ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: ... ON THE PHILOSOPHIC ASPECT OF PESSIMISTIC REALISM SCHOPENHAUER--IBSEN--SHAKESPEARE As we have already seen, the soundness of the realistic poet's philosophy is one thing, and the soundness of his poetry, another. "Pessimism," as Max Nordau has it, "is not a philosophy but a temperament "; and, though that statement needs some qualification, it at least offers an indication of the source of much of the gloom in which our latter-day poets are steeped. If we contrast the pessimism of Ibsen with that of Schopenhauer, we shall see wherein the true difference lies between conviction, the result of research, and of temperament. No one can read Schopenhauer without being struck with his originality and the strength of his position. If he asserts that pain is positive, and pleasure--or even freedom from suffering--negative, he explains exactly how he arrived at that conclusion. He does not appeal merely to our impressions of life, but to our reason and observations. Schopenhauer says: "Even though Leibnitz' contention, that this is the best of all possible worlds, were correct, that would not justify God in having created it. For He is the Creator, not of the world only, but of possibility itself; and, therefore, He ought to have so ordered possibility that it would admit of something better." The above is pregnant with thought. It reveals the standpoint of the philosopher, and at once places us in sympathy, if not in agreement, with him. It is a conviction based on reasoning combined with observation. " Studies in Pessimism," translated by T. Bailey Saunders. Now, let us see what observation can produce alone. "Dr Stockmann.--' I'm going to revolt against the lie that Truth resides in the majority. What sort of truths do the majority rally round?...
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