Schopenhauer Vs Camus

        Schopenhauer has a rather pessimistic view of the world. He believes that life is suffering. The cause of suffering is due to the human “will” in his eyes. We always have goals, and we are always striving to accomplish them. Schopenhauer says, “Always, restlessly and tirelessly, we are needing, wanting, desiring, and striving for and against things” (p. 37). Because we are always wanting to achieve our goals and satisfy our needs, we are opening the door for failure. This is why we suffer. Of course, Schopenhauer most likely arrived at this conclusion due to his passion for Buddhism. Buddha says that life is suffering, and I believe this helped influence Schopenhauer’s beliefs as well. However, we must find a way to cope with life’s suffering. Schopenhauer does not recommend suicide, there for we must arrive at a living solution. Since we suffer from always “willing”, the only solution would be to decrease our life’s desires. The less we desire, they less opportunity we have to fail.

        Camus’ arguably has a pessimistic view on the world as well. He believes that life is “absurd”. The absurd can be defined as the human’s desire for the meaning of life, though reality does not provide us with such a thing. Though life seems worthless without meaning, Camus wants to prove that suicide is not a solution. Camus even says that “life could be lived all the better if it has no meaning” (p. 163). Camus is basically saying that if we do not live with a purpose in mind, we may be happier because we do not feel we must have a reason for a decisions. Though this can be frustrating because many people want an entire reason for life. Camus uses an example of Don Juan to describe an absurd hero, or someone who lives and copes with the absurd. Don Juan is said to seduce many women in a night and have no remorse. He is thinking quantity over quality, and he is not thinking long-term. He only seeks happiness for the night, and he simply takes his life one day at a time. Although we cannot say if this lifestyle choice would get old after many years of the same routine, it is still a way to cope with not knowing your true purpose in life.