Pragmatic Pessimism or on The 'Dark Gray' of the World

Abstract

How can a theory of happiness, based upon the practical use of reason and acquired character, be understood in the thought of Schopenhauer, the great pessimist metaphysic? This article aims to prove that Schopenhauer’s pessimism can be better understood if considered, on the one hand, as metaphysical pessimism and, on the other, as pragmatic pessimism. For this purpose, I seek to show that the consideration of Schopenhauer’s singular eudemonology is fundamental to fully understand his pessimism.