Schopenhauer's Buddhism

In a letter from May 10, 1852, Adam von Doß, Arthur Schopenhauer declared himself to a Buddhist. From 1825 until his death, he never stopped searching for more information on Buddhism, with his thirst for knowledge of it growing over time. Schopenhauer?s Buddhism: A Historical-Philosophical Inquiry is the first study to do justice to Schopenhauer?s passion for Buddhism, reconstructing the notions of Buddhism he acquired through his readings on Buddhism as well as their influence on his thought. Laura Langone examines what Buddhism meant for Schopenhauer, what kind of Buddhism Schopenhauer had in mind, and how Buddhism shaped his philosophy. This book examines how the assimilation of Buddhist tenets through his Buddhist sources led him to incorporate the Buddhist concept of palingenesis into his philosophical system, which introduced a radically new metaphysical framework. Ultimately, Schopenhauer?s incorporation of Buddhist palingenesis illustrates how Buddhism deeply spurred him to develop new and innovative ideas previously unthinkable in Western philosophy.

Responsibly grounding Schopenhauer's engagement with Buddhist thought requires a rarely intertwined mastery of the histories of Late Modern Western and classical Eastern philosophies. What Laura Langone has achieved in Schopenhauer's Buddhism is an erudite reconstruction of what Schopenhauer knew and, indeed, could have known about Buddhism ? and from that foundation she successfully shows just how deeply his multifaceted engagement with Buddhism impacted the development of his thought.