392 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



religion, like St Augustine, than to the normal type 

 of European thinker represented pre - eminently by 

 Aristotle. . . . He saw in the world what he felt in 

 himself, a vain effort after ever new objects of desire 

 which give no permanent satisfaction ; and this view, 

 becoming predominant, determined, not, indeed, all the 

 ideas of his philosophy, but its general complexion as a 

 ' philosophy of redemption.' " ^ 



Schopenhauer's philosophy stood in opposition to his 

 own private life ; it was purely objective. He did 

 not attempt to practise what he taught. He stood 

 outside the world of active and striving persons : he 

 contemplated it as a spectator, comfortably seated in a 

 stall, looks on at a theatrical performance, and unravels 

 the plot without entangling himself in its successive 

 Scenes and Acts. The conclusion he arrives at is, 

 that there is more evil than good, that the principle 

 of action, the human Will, is the source of this evil, 

 and that in the negation of all desire in a complete 

 quietism, similar to the Nirvana of the Buddhist, is to 

 be found the redemption from evil. 



Quite different from the solution of the problem 

 which Schopenhauer offers to others, but does not 

 follow himself, is that of Nietzsche. With him, the 

 teaching is purely subjective : a reflection of the state 

 of his own mind, of the unrest and unsatisfied striving 

 of his own nature. If Schopenhauer prescribes to 

 others resignation, the negation of desire, and preaches 

 as the highest virtue that of compassion, Nietzsche 

 preaches the doctrine of uncontrolled energy, of self- 



' * Schopenhauer,' by Thos. Whittaker ; Constable's Series, 1909 (p. 1 sgq.). 



