Counsels and Maxims

This collection gathers Arthur Schopenhauer's reflections on life and on what he regards as follies of human behaviour. The book considers how people might order their lives to obtain the greatest amount of pleasure and success. Schopenhauer then offers guidance on how to live as fully as possible, and he explores how one might shape a life that maximises fulfilment, pleasure and success. The work presents his sharp insights into life and human conduct, setting out counsels and maxims intended to guide readers in how they live.

Why You Should Read?

• Discover Schopenhauer's reflections on what he believes are follies of human behaviour.
• Learn how to order your life to obtain the greatest amount of pleasure and success.
• Explore guidelines for living life to its fullest and making the most of it.

About the Author

Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 to 21 September 1860) was a German writer and philosopher, often called the “Philosopher of Pessimism.” His 1818 book The World as Will and Representation, enlarged in 1844, presents the everyday world as the product of a blind, unreasonable underlying will. Drawing on Immanuel Kant’s transcendental idealism, he formed a godless metaphysical and moral system against the German idealism of his day. He was an early Western thinker to accept Indian ideas like self-denial and asceticism. His aesthetics, ethics and psychology influenced many artists and thinkers after his death, though his lifetime brought little attention.