The Value of the World and of Oneself : Philosophical Optimism and Pessimism from Aristotle to Modernity Mor Segev

The Value of the World and of Oneself : Philosophical Optimism and Pessimism from Aristotle to Modernity – Ebook Instant Download/Delivery ISBN(s): 9780197634073,9780197634080,9780197634097,0197634079,0197634087,0197634095

Product details:

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0197634079
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0197634073
• Author: Mor Segev

Philosophical optimists maintain that the world is optimally arranged and is accordingly valuable, and that the existence of human beings is preferable to their nonexistence. Philosophical pessimists, by contrast, would prefer human nonexistence, considering the world to be in a woeful condition and ultimately valueless. The Value of the World and of Oneself examines the longstanding debate between philosophical optimism and pessimism in the history of philosophy, focusing on Aristotle, Maimonides, Spinoza, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Camus.

Author Mor Segev examines how Schopenhauer criticizes the optimism he locates in the Hebrew Bible and in Spinoza for being unable to square the presumed perfection of the world and its parts, including human life, with the suffering and misfortunes observable in them, and for leading to egoism and thereby to cruelty. Nietzsche, in turn, criticizes Schopenhauer’s overtly pessimistic view for furtively positing a perfect state for one to aspire to, thus being latently optimistic. Similarly, Camus charges Nietzsche, who announces his rejection of both optimism and pessimism, with deifying the world and oneself, thereby reverting to optimism. Aristotle countenances an optimistic theory, later adopted and developed by Maimonides, that is arguably capable of facing Schopenhauer’s challenge.

Table contents:

1. Schopenhauer’s Critique of the Optimism of the Hebrew Bible and Spinoza
2. Self-Abnegation and Its Reversion to Optimism: Schopenhauer
3. Nihilism and Self-Deification: Camus’s Critical Analysis of Nietzsche in The Rebel
4. Aristotle’s Critique of Ancient Pessimism
5. Optimism and Self-Devaluation #1: Aristotle
6. Optimism and Self-Devaluation #2: Maimonides on Aristotle and the Hebrew Bible
7. An Aristotelian Response to Schopenhauer’s Challenge to Optimism
References
Index

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