Pessimism

Schopenhauer, Arthur (1788--1860) German philosopher of pessimism. He maintained that the desires and drives of men, as well as the forces of nature, are manifestations of a single will, specifically the wil to live, which is the essence of the world. Schopenhauer asserted that since operation of the will means constant striving without satisfaction, life consists of suffering and that only by controlling the will through the intellect, by suppressing the desire to reporduce, can suffering be diminished.