Sam Woolfe
Freelance Writer & Blogger

Julius Bahnsen’s Radical Pessimism

Julius Bahnsen’s Radical Pessimism
Julius Bahnsen (1830 – 1881) was a German philosopher and disciple of Arthur Schopenhauer. The historian Frederick C. Beiser, in his book Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860–1900, describes Bahnsen’s philosophical views, along with other key German pessimistic philosophers and followers of Schopenhauer, such as Julius Frauenstädt, Eduard von Hartmann, and Philipp Mainländer.  Weltschmerz is…View Post

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Book Review: Cosmic Pessimism by Eugene Thacker

Book Review: Cosmic Pessimism by Eugene Thacker
Cosmic Pessimism (2015) is a collection of aphorisms, fragments, and prose poems by the philosopher Eugene Thacker. Thacker, who is also Professor of Media Studies at The New School in New York City, offers many unique thoughts on pessimism and the human condition in this very short book. He explores various themes of pessimism: futility,…View Post

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Towards a Theory of Nietzschean Antinatalism

Towards a Theory of Nietzschean Antinatalism
It is fair to say that much of antinatalist thought is underpinned by a rejectionist philosophy, a nay-saying attitude towards life, a pessimism about the state of human life and the world at large. The line between such pessimism and antinatalism seems logical: if you believe existence is – overall – a bad deal, an…View Post

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Pessimism and Pandeism: Philipp Mainländer on the Death of God

Pessimism and Pandeism: Philipp Mainländer on the Death of God
Philipp Mainländer (1841 – 1876) was a German poet and philosopher, born in Offenbach am Main. He was a disciple of Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy and one of the patron saints of 19th century German pessimism (other notable figures belonging to this curious philosophical trend include Eduard von Hartmann and Julius Bahnsen). Unlike these other pessimists,…View Post

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A Pessimist’s Guide to the Pandemic

A Pessimist’s Guide to the Pandemic
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, along with new government measures and vaccine developments shaping its trajectory, many people are still left confused about how best to respond. Should be pessimistic or optimistic about the current situation and the future? In terms of personal well-being, an optimistic attitude is ostensibly preferable. Adjusting to the ‘new normal’…View Post

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