Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-21
PeSS1m1 1A1ms rRv GoIdw.n Smith in Fahruarv Atlantic

By Go.dw:n Smith in February Atlantic
 Passing over for the moment Hume, to l whom we shall return immediately, we recog- | nize in the now famous German, Arthur l Schopenhauer, the originator of the pessi- | mistic philosophy as distinguished from mere pessimistic sentiment. With the history and ! character of Schopenhauer the world has now | been made well acquainted. He was the son | of 8 wealthy merchant of Danzig. His father | is described as man of determined and ob- | stinate character and a successful speculator, | but with taint of something morbid, which he probably bequeathed to his son. The moth | CT of Schopenhauer was 8 lady who might
 have been expected to give birth to a writer, but scarcely to the founder of pessimisna. She was herself the author of some art crit iques and novels, and the center of literary circle; but she is described at the same time
 as gay and rather dashing woman of the world. She seems, however, to have helped to
 form her sons philosophy, and especially his doctrine concerning women, by the repulsive influence of her careless levity and by
 squandering the family fortune. Perhaps the
 social relations of man of his temperament
 with ladies would almost suffice to account for his dislike. His literary talent is undisputed. and has helped the reception of his doctrine;
 but he was evidently man of the most orab-
 bed and bilious character. Apparently he
 wished to distinguish himself as teacher, and
 would perhaps have liked professorial chair
 though it would not be just to ascribe too
 much to any feeling of disappointment his
 intense hatred of the official teachers, not ably Hegel, on whom he poured out
 the viaIs, not to say the slop- -pails. of his
 wrath: He must in any case have seen in them deceivers of the brethren and enemies of pessimistic truth. He died unmarried His
 last years were passed in retirement, with much material comfort, at Frankfort. n-the- Main. Evidently he was very conscious of his genius-he calls one of his own essays -G During his life, however, his wish was not
 fulfilled. Germany at that time was full of
 the bright hopes of unity, engaged in the ami
 mating struggle for that boon and dlittleinclined
 to accept the teachings of a pessimist. But
 now she is suffering from the disappointment
 that follows the attainment of felicity, from the reaction that ensues on high nervous ten
 sion, and from the crushing pressure of tax ation and the military system. Schopenha accordingly, becomes 8 power, his doctrines mingling and harmonizing with these of the social leaders, whose influence is likewise the offspring of popular suffering and discontent. Overfowing into Russia, the dark stream of
 the pessimistic philosophy mingles with that of revolutionary revolt against the admins
 trative abuses of the despotsm and the re-
 snlt is Nihilism, the most desperate of all the
 social insurrectiors, though it's secrecy
 and the terror which it spreads have prob
 ably produced exaggerated notions of it's ex
 tent. In France, it seems, similar conjurc-
 tion of pessimiFm with socialism is not un-
 known, albeit French man of science has
 pronounced it impossible that the pes
 sinistio virus should be generated in
 any country which drinks wine and not
 beer. The connection of pessimism
 as well as socialism with popular suf-
 fering is as clear as that of Calhoun's SO
 cial theories with the possession of slaves.
 It is illustrated conversely by the case of the
 United States, where the good nature and
 rNE1T IoYnkh nVoAS
 ular prosperity have given birth to Universal
 ism and led tc considerable mitigation of the
 doctrine of eternal punishment, even in
 churches which retain the orthodox profession.