Philosophy Symposium | Schopenhauer: the first European Buddhist?

29 MAY – 1 Jun | Led by Dhivan, Abhayadhara + Ketumati

Residential | All those familiar with Triratna meditation

Inspired by the philosophies of Plato, Kant and the Upanishads, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) composed his great work The World as Will and Representation (1819). Having subsequently come to learn about Buddhism, he declared: ‘If I were to take the results of my philosophy as the standard of truth, I would have to consider Buddhism the finest of all religion.’

At this symposium we will be exploring the affinities between Schopenhauer’s philosophy and Buddhism, focussing on such themes as his pessimism, his passionate avowal of compassion and renunciation, and the role of aesthetic appreciation in his philosophy. Drawing on modern interpretations (e.g. Bernardo Kastrup’s), we will be considering whether Schopenhauer’s philosophy provides a unique bridge between Eastern and Western philosophy—one that is invaluable to us as practising Buddhists today.